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Thread: Wolf Warrior 2

  1. #1
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    WOLF WARRIOR 2 - Official Teaser (Wu Jing, Frak Grillo)

    Gene Ching
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    電影《戰狼2》國際版預告【吳京、盧靖姍、吳剛】|Wolf Warriors Ⅱ

    Gene Ching
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    Trailer #3

    Time to split this off from the original into it's own indie thread.

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    吴京与《美队》头号反派徒手格斗 《战狼2》曝开战版预告

    Gene Ching
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    U.S. theatrical release JULY 28, 2017

    From Well Go USA's site:

    July 28, 2017
    NEW YORK CITY

    AMC Empire 25
    234 West 42nd Street
    New York, NY 10036

    College Point Multiplex Cinemas
    2855 Ulmer St
    Flushing, NY 11354

    LOS ANGELES

    AMC Atlantic Times Square
    450 N Atlantic Blvd
    Monterey Park, CA 91754
    (626) 407-0240

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    AMC Orange 30
    20 City Blvd W
    Orange, CA 92868
    (909) 476-1234

    AMC Tustin 14 at The District
    2457 Park Ave
    Tustin, CA 92782
    (714) 258-7036

    ATLANTA

    Regal Cinemas Hollywood 24
    3265 Northeast Expy NE
    Chamblee, GA 30341
    (844) 462-7342

    INDIANAPOLIS

    AMC Showplace Bloomington 11
    1351 S College Mall Rd
    Bloomington, IN 47401

    CHICAGO

    AMC River East 21
    322 East Illinois Street
    Chicago, IL 60611
    (312) 596-0333

    COLUMBUS

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    Columbus, OH 43212

    DALLAS

    AMC Grapevine Mills 30
    3150 Grapevine Mills Parkway
    Grapevine, TX 76051
    (972) 539-5909

    WASHINGTON, D.C.

    AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18
    9811 Washingtonian Ctr
    Gaithersburg, MD 20878

    Regal Cinemas Rockville Center 13
    199 E Montgomery Ave
    Rockville, MD 20850

    EUGENE

    Regal Cinemas Valley River Center 15 & IMAX
    500 Valley River Center
    Eugene, OR 9740
    (844) 462-7342

    HAWAII

    Regal Dole Cannery
    735 Iwilei Rd
    Honolulu, HI 96817
    (844) 462-7342

    Consolidated Theatres Kapolei
    890 Kamokila Blvd #107
    Kapolei, HI 96707
    (808) 674-8031

    Pearlridge West 16
    98-1005 Moanalua Road
    Aiea, HI 96701
    (808) 483-5339

    HOUSTON

    AMC Studio 30
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    Houston, TX 77063
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    7620 Katy Fwy
    Houston, TX 77024
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    Las Vegas, NV 89119
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    AMC Sunset Place 24
    5701 Sunset Dr #300
    South Miami, FL 33143
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    AMC Cherry Hill 24
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    Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
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    1400 S Christopher Columbus Blvd
    Philadelphia, PA 19147

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    AMC Centerpoint 11
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    UA Laguna Village 12
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    Sacramento, CA 95823
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    Gene Ching
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  6. #6
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    Opens this Friday



    Here's the U.S. trailer, same as the one above, but with subtitles.
    Gene Ching
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  7. #7
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    Massive $131M Debut

    China Box Office Roars Back to Life as 'Wolf Warrior 2' Makes Massive $130M Debut
    12:24 AM PDT 7/31/2017 by Patrick Brzeski


    Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
    'Wolf Warrior 2'

    'Captain America' directors Joe and Anthony Russo consulted on the action film, which handily outperformed a propaganda film during the summer season when China blocks international competition from the market.

    After a lackluster series of months, the Chinese film industry finally has a homegrown summer blockbuster on its hands.

    Actor-director Wu Jing's Wolf Warrior 2, a sequel to his 2015 film of the same name, opened Thursday to $15 million before pulling in an enormous $131 million over the weekend.

    The action flick surpassed the first Wolf Warrior film's entire $86 million run in less than three days, while dominating The Founding of an Army, the much-hyped state propaganda film about the establishment of the People's Liberation Army, which also opened Thursday.

    Produced by former China Film Group boss Han Sanping and directed by Hong Kong's Andrew Lau, The Founding of an Army debuted to just $5.6 million, despite getting nearly twice as many screenings as Wolf Warrior (about 69,000 showings compared with 38,000, respectively). As Wolf Warrior proceeded to pull further and further ahead, cinema managers began to disregard official instructions from Beijing's media regulators to give the propaganda flick heavy play. On Friday, Wolf Warrior received 113,000 showings and earned $31.6 million, compared to 94,000 showings and $8 million in ticket sales for Army; by Sunday, Wolf Warrior was way out ahead with 133,000 showings for $53.7 million, over 81,000 showings for $8 million by Army.

    Hollywood is conspicuously absent from the Middle Kingdom this month, thanks to China's usual policy of blocking international competition from the market during the busy summer blockbuster season. But traces of the U.S. industry's fingerprints could still be detected within Wolf Warrior 2's success. Marvel mainstays Joe and Anthony Russo, co-directors of the Captain America franchise, consulted on the film via their Chinese studio venture Anthem & Song, which has strategic partnership with Beijing Culture Media Company, one of the local production companies behind Wolf Warrior. The Russos introduced some of their usual stunt team, led by veteran action coordinator Sam Hargrave (Captain America: Civil War, Atomic Blonde), to boost the quality and intensity of the film's fight sequences.

    Wolf Warrior 2 stars Wu as a former Chinese Special Forces operative who is drawn out of retirement to battle bloodthirsty American mercenaries during an African revolution. American actor Frank Grillo (Captain America), also a Russo Brothers regular, co-stars as the film's baddie, while Hong Kong's Celina Jade plays the female lead.

    Lingering in the marketplace since its pre-Hollywood blackout release last month, Universal's Despicable Me 3 landed in third place for the weekend, earning $3.7 million. After four weeks on Chinese screens, the film has earned $146 million.

    The next major international title to hit the Chinese market will be Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets on Aug. 25, a week before Dunkirk bows Sept. 1 and Spider-Man: Homecoming spins its web across the Middle Kingdom on Sept. 8.
    I can't wait to see this now. I hope it stays in theaters for a few weeks because I won't be able to get out to it for a while.

    Imagine, a Hollywood action coordinator schooling a PRC stunt team on how it's done. That's just awesome.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #8
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    China’s biggest ever hit

    Although I didn't really care for Wolf Warrior 1, I suspect I'll enjoy Wolf Warrior 2 more than I enjoyed The Mermaid.

    Wolf Warrior 2 beats The Mermaid to become China’s biggest ever hit at the box office
    Patriotic action movie breaks Hong Kong fantasy romance’s record for takings in mainland cinemas just 12 days after release
    PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 08 August, 2017, 11:36am
    UPDATED : Tuesday, 08 August, 2017, 3:25pm



    Mandy Zuo
    mandy.zuo@scmp.com


    The action movie Wolf Warrior 2, the release of which coincides with the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army, had taken 3.4 billion yuan (US$505.9 million) at the mainland box office by the end of Monday, beating the 3.39 billion record set by the Hong Kong fantasy romance The Mermaid last year.
    The film, which stars martial artist Wu Jing, who also directed and co-wrote it, has proved to be a hit since its release on July 27 thanks to a screenplay that promotes nationalism and features Hollywood-like production values, local audiences say.
    It has also made history with box office takings of over 200 million yuan every single day since the release.
    Wu Jing, who directed and starred in the film, said there was a market for patriotism in Chinese cinema. Photo: Handout
    In previous interviews with mainland media, Wu explained its success by saying: “Patriotism has been hidden inside the audience for a long time, and this sentiment needs to be released via a film and a role.”
    The Hollywood directors Joe and Anthony Russo were consultants on the film and foreign actors – including American Frank Grillo, who played the villain, and Hong Kong-American Celina Jade, playing the female lead, made it a departure from traditional patriotic movies.
    Celina Jade, the female lead. Photo: Handout
    Domestic films have been suffering a box drought since Lunar New Year. Some analysts argue that the high quality and crowd-pleasing film has come just in time for the industry.
    Patriotic Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 packs a Hollywood-style punch at the box office

    The first Wolf Warrior, released in 2015, grossed US$89 million in China. With similar nationalistic messages, it tells the story of a special forces officer, played by Wu, fighting foreign mercenaries hired by a drug lord in Xinjiang.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #9
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    $571 million after 14 days

    I was hoping to catch this in the theaters but I don't think I'll be able to make it. Well Go USA usually offers me a screener, maybe even a sweepstakes and typically it comes to Netflix eventually.

    China Box Office: 'Wolf Warrior 2' Smashes All-Time Record With $571M Haul
    2:33 AM PDT 8/10/2017 by Abid Rahman


    Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
    'Wolf Warrior 2'

    The action movie, the biggest beneficiary of the summer blackout of Hollywood films in China, eclipsed the mark held by Stephen Chow's 'The Mermaid.'

    Wolf Warrior 2 became the biggest grossing film ever at the Chinese box office after collecting a massive $571 million after 14 days.

    The action movie took the crown from Stephen Chow's fantasy phenomenon The Mermaid, which earned $527 million during its theatrical run last year. Wolf Warrior 2 also relegated The Fate of the Furious, the most successful Hollywood title in China ever, down to third place.

    Wolf Warrior 2 started big with a $130 million debut, but it has really turned heads with its second weekend gross of $161 million.

    Wolf Warrior 2's performance is even starker as the first film in the franchise, released in 2015, made a so-so $89.1 million. Moreover, the film was released in the summer months in China, not traditionally seen as a period to make box office hay. The Chinese New Year holiday season, which usually falls in late January and early February, is still the most lucrative period in the release calendar and can turbo charge earnings as it did for The Mermaid did in 2016 and Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga ($252 million) earlier this year.

    Despite its summer release, Wolf Warrior 2 has been the biggest beneficiary of the summer blackout of Hollywood films in China, an attempt by the authorities to give local productions a clear run. But the lack of foreign competition alone doesn't account for the stellar success of Wolf Warrior 2, judging by social media engagement the film has struck a chord with Chinese audiences with its overt patriotism and intense and top-quality action scenes.

    Written, directed, produced and starring Wu Jing, the film reportedly cost $30 million to make and co-stars Hong Konger Celina Jade and token Hollywood import Frank Grillo (an upgrade on Scott Adkins from the first film). The action takes place in Africa, where a team of Chinese special forces is tasked with freeing their compatriots being held by mercenaries.

    An undoubted domestic triumph, there are Hollywood fingerprints on the film. Joe and Anthony Russo, co-directors of the Captain America franchise and the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, were consultants on the film via their Chinese studio venture Anthem & Song, which has a strategic partnership with Beijing Culture Media Company, one of the local production companies behind Wolf Warrior 2. The Russos' go-to stunt team, led by veteran action coordinator Sam Hargrave, were a key element behind the highly praised action and fight sequences in Wolf Warrior 2.

    Likened to Rambo, Wolf Warriors 2 unashamedly harkens back to the testosterone- and patriotism-fuelled Hollywood films of the 1980s, but this time with a Chinese hero saving the day.
    Gene Ching
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    Moutai ganbei!



    RisingTones
    Moutai Thanks Hit Movie ‘Wolf Warrior 2’ for Free Advertising
    Patriotic action flick has broken China’s all-time box office record.
    Zhang Liping

    Aug 08, 2017

    Chinese box office hit “Wolf Warrior 2” has received a thank-you letter from the president of Kweichow Moutai, the country’s most famous brand of liquor, because of the hero’s propensity to take long swigs of the drink in-between saving the people around him.

    The movie, which premiered July 27, tells the story of a former People’s Liberation Army soldier protecting Chinese citizens and local factory workers in an African war zone.

    The patriotic overtones have proven popular with audiences. As of Tuesday, “Wolf Warrior 2” has earned more than 3.4 billion yuan ($507 million), breaking China’s all-time box office record, set last year by Hong Kong comedy “The Mermaid.” Wu Jing, 43, both starred in and directed “Wolf Warrior 2,” whose prequel earned 525 million yuan in 2015.

    On Monday, Yuan Renguo, president of Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., congratulated Wu on his success in an open letter on the company’s website. “The movie has hit a new record and become a phenomenon,” Yuan wrote. “The movie is now synonymous with patriotism.”

    Kweichow Moutai’s brand of liquor, a premium type of baijiu, or Chinese sorghum liquor, appears in the movie four times. The drink is given about a minute of screen time in total — advertising that the company did not pay for, Yuan said in his letter.

    “Your free placement of Moutai, the national liquor, in the movie has once more allowed this famous Chinese brand to impress the world,” Yuan wrote.


    A still frame from the film ‘Wolf Warrior II’ shows actor Wu Jing drinking Moutai liquor.

    Kweichow Moutai was once favored by Chinese officials but saw its sales drop following President Xi Jinping’s campaign against government extravagance, which launched in 2013. But the liquor maker has started to make a comeback this year: While the company’s production levels have not yet fully recovered, its stock price is on the rise.

    Yuan also added that the company had organized screenings of the film for its 30,000 employees, which he said boosted their feelings of nationalism and “company cohesion.”

    Many moviegoers also said they were impressed by the patriotic plot of “Wolf Warrior 2.” Tong Yemeng, a 32-year-old office worker from Beijing, told Sixth Tone that she watched the film because of positive reviews from her colleagues and on social media. “I felt so moved and proud of my country when I saw Wu Jing waving the national flag in the war zone,” she said. “It showed our increasing national power.”

    Kong Mingzhe, a film enthusiast from Shanghai, told Sixth Tone that the patriotism of “Wolf Warrior 2” was not as over-the-top as in other movies. “Since we are still 20 years behind Hollywood action movies,” he said, “it’s good to see we have such a movie today.”

    The movie’s patriotic success can be attributed to its timing, Qian Lijun, a Beijing-based marketing executive, told Sixth Tone. He pointed out that “Wolf Warrior 2” hit cinemas as India and China were involved in a border dispute, as the central government is promoting its international Belt and Road Initiative, and as the People’s Liberation Army celebrated its 90th anniversary.

    Qian theorized that the movie serves as an outlet for people’s nationalistic feelings. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t have such a big impact,” he said.

    Editor: Kevin Schoenmakers.

    (Header image: A still frame from the film ‘Wolf Warrior 2’ shows actor Wu Jing shooting at his enemies. IC)
    I missed Baijiu day (8/9 = ba jiu) this year but maybe I can celebrate by just watching Wolf Warrior 2?
    Gene Ching
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  11. #11
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    Wolf Warrior 2

    I'm just going to launch this thread already (giving the BO, part 3 will surely happen) and copy it to Wolf Warrior 2 and the Adventurers.

    Headlines from China: Andy Lau Expressed His Interest in Playing in ‘Wolf Warriors 3’
    BY CHINAFILMINSIDER AUG 11, 2017


    Andy Lau Expressed His Interest in Playing in Wolf Warriors 3

    In a recent interview, Hong Kong movie star Andy Lau talked about his upcoming movie The Adventurers, his previous hit movie Infernal Affairs, and the Chinese film market. When Andy was asked about Infernal Affairs, he said that none of the Hong Kong action movies produced over the past 15 years achieved the level of success Infernal Affairs achieved, and co-production might have been one of the important reasons, as co-produced movies try to cater to audiences from different cultures and restrict filmmakers’ creative freedom. In addition, Andy commended on the uncertain nature of the movie industry, saying that he is not sure if he will be invited to play in Wolf Warriors 3, but he will be prepared.

    And for reference, here's Wolf Warrior 1.
    Gene Ching
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  12. #12
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    Seen

    I caught this on Friday and enjoyed the ultravi. I'll have a personal review up later.

    Media & Entertainment #BoxOffice
    AUG 14, 2017 @ 03:00 PM
    Box Office: 'Wolf Warrior 2' Cracks 100 All-Time Biggest Grossers List
    Scott Mendelson , CONTRIBUTOR
    I cover the film industry.
    Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.


    Well Go USA Entertainment
    'Wolf Warrior 2'

    Wolf Warrior 2 has now earned $685 million after earning $83m over its third Fri-Sun frame in China. That’s a mere drop of 50% from last weekend’s record-crushing $162m Fri-Sun frame and down just 41% from its opening weekend of $141m two weeks ago. Yes, the Chinese action sequel made more money in its second weekend than in its opening weekend. Moreover, that $162m Fri-Sun cume was the biggest non-opening weekend ever, ahead of The Force Awakens’ $149m in Christmas of 2015. Sadly, the $83m third frame was below Force Awakens’ $90m third weekend, so no new records there.

    The film has earned $683 million in China after 17 days (including Thursday previews), along with $2m in North America on just 32 screens. So, here’s the gist: The film is now the first non-Hollywood release ever to crack the top-100 list of all-time biggest global box office champions. And with around $680m, it is now in 99th place, between Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation ($682.7m in 2015) and The Hunger Games ($694.7m in 2012). I don’t have Monday numbers at the moment (thanks to time zone magic, today is technically Tuesday in China), but if it hasn’t crossed $700m in China already, it will in a day or two.

    Speaking of which, with a relative downturn in that third weekend, which would still be insanely leggy for any other movie of this scale, the film is probably not going to catch the $937 million North American gross of Star Wars: The Force Awakens or the worldwide total of Universal/Comcast Corp.'s Despicable Me 3 ($921m-and-counting) to win the summer. But with $680m+ and counting, it is already the third-biggest single-territory gross in history, behind only the North American totals of Avatar ($760m in 2009/2010) and The Force Awakens ($937m in 2015/2016).

    By the way, if you don’t count the online ticketing fees that have only recently been included in the respective Chinese box office, then the film actually sits in fifth place in single-territory grosses, with $644 million, or behind Jurassic World ($652m in 2015), Titanic ($658m in 1997/1998 and then 2012) and the other two aforementioned biggies.

    But even with that Roger Maris asterisk, it’s all-but-certain to end up in second place behind Walt Disney’s Star Wars sequel when all is said and done. Heck, it’s entirely possible that it will be the biggest-grossing single-territory earner of 2017, as there is no guarantee that Star Wars: The Last Jedi will reach the $800-$850m final total of Wolf Warrior 2’s China run via its North American sprint. But that’s a conversation for another day.

    One fun milestone that the Wu Jing action spectacular has already notched is essentially becoming the biggest “part 1 to part 2” jump for any modern sequel where both films played in somewhat wide release. Wolf Warrior 2 has earned $685 million thus far, which is 7.7x the $89m Chinese total of Wolf Warrior back in 2015. If you look at North American sequel jumps, that’s ahead of the likes of Austin Powers ($54m for International Man of Mystery/$204m for The Spy Who Shagged Me) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($39m/$204m) and The Dark Knight ($205m/$534m).

    The only two bigger such jumps were for Boondock Saints ($30,471 in five theaters vs. $10.2m for Boondock Saints II in 524 theaters nine years later) and Robert Rodiguez’s gunslinger series ($2m for El Mariachi on 88 screens vs. $25m for Desperado on 2,027 screens). But as you can see, those franchises began as limited runs and went wide for the sequel. Otherwise, Wolf Warrior 2 has taken the biggest such jump for any wide release film (in North America or elsewhere) that I can find.

    So, that’s enough for one update. It is all-but-certain that Wolf Warrior 2 will become the second film in history to earned $800 million in a single territory. So now the only questions are how far it’ll go, how well Wolf Warrior 3 will perform and how the almost inevitable English-language, PG-13 remake will play out.
    Gene Ching
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    first forum review coming...

    Yes, I did see this last Friday and I will review it here soon. And spoiler alert - I enjoyed it thoroughly. But given it's popularity in China, it did give me pause. These articles touche on some issues that crossed my mind too.

    Wolf Warrior movie is a wake-up call too
    China’s new-found confidence is well reflected in the entertaining hit move Wolf Warrior 2, though the stereotypes and generalisation in it have the potential to stir dangerous nationalistic feelings
    PUBLISHED : Sunday, 13 August, 2017, 12:57am
    UPDATED : Sunday, 13 August, 2017, 12:57am



    China’s new-found place in the world was bound to be eventually reflected in its movies. Chinese audiences have resoundingly taken to the idea, propelling the action film Wolf Warrior 2 into the box-office stratosphere. In a matter of weeks, it has broken all records, crowds in part drawn by the Hollywood-style production elements of fast pace and impressive stunts. But its success can also be put down to national pride, patriotism and recent messages from President Xi Jinping about the nation’s might.

    Wolf Warrior 2 was released as the People’s Liberation Army was celebrating its 90th anniversary. The displays of latest-generation naval vessels, aircraft and weapons and the claims by leaders that the military was primed to repel any threat were fresh in the minds of audiences. The on-screen exploits that then unfolded of a tough-guy former soldier who travels to an unspecified African country on special operations to rescue Chinese citizens from Western mercenaries and protect locals was therefore a perfect fit. It also reflected a measure of reality; that three decades of Chinese economic growth and development have led to rising power and influence around the world.
    The reason for Wolf Warrior 2’s runaway success in China is what’s keeping Western viewers away

    The movie’s hero, Leng Feng, played by the mainland’s first action superstar, Wu Jing, expertly translates those changes onto the big screen. Leng is in the mould of Western fictional characters like James Bond and John Rambo and, like them, he is deeply patriotic for his country and what it stands for, no matter how much he has been wronged. Those rescued have the highest praise for his heroic deeds and superhuman fighting skills. The idea is the same as that articulated in countless Hollywood war and action films, only with a Chinese focus: that China is strong, able to protect Chinese and others anywhere in the world, will act in the best interests of the downtrodden and has to be alert to those eager to exploit.
    As Wu’s film shows, that is obviously what mainland audiences proud of the nation’s rise and achievements want to see. Movies are not reality, though, and in a format like that of Wolf Warrior 2, are bound to exaggerate. But while such a blockbuster is highly entertaining, it also, through stereotypes and generalisation, has the potential to stir nationalist feelings. Unchecked, that can lead to arrogance and racism.
    There is nothing wrong with being patriotic and loving one’s country. But coupled with a belief that no nation is better and a “them against us” mentality, there is the risk of poor relations with outsiders and domestic instability as a result of finger-pointing. Wolf Warrior 2 reflects China’s growing confidence, but it should also serve as a wake-up call.
    China’s Wolf Warriors 2 in ‘war-ravaged Africa’ gives the White Savior complex a whole new meaning


    Saving the day. (Wolf Warrior)

    WRITTEN BY Lily Kuo
    OBSESSION China in Africa
    August 14, 2017 Quartz Africa

    In the film Wolf Warriors 2, Leng Feng, a former special forces operative, is on a one-man mission to save Chinese nationals and innocent locals from local rebels and mercenaries in a generic African country. In the film’s trailer, a jeep trawls through a green savannah, passing two lions. African workers dancing around a bonfire at an apparently Chinese-financed factory are attacked by white mercenaries. A busy throughway in a market town comes under fire. Leng, armed with a knife and his martial arts skills, arrives at a compound, telling its occupants, “I’m here to save you.”
    Wolf Warriors 2 is now China’s highest grossing film ever, having earned $687.5 million in its first two weeks, takes place on a continent where China’s military muscle and status as a global power are increasingly on display.
    The film is a first in other ways. Leng, played by the Chinese action actor Wu Jing, is China’s own version of the White Savior. A Wikipedia entry, referring to American movies, describes the White Savior narrative as “a cinematic trope portraying a white character rescuing people of color from their plight.”


    On a mission. (Wolf Warriors 2/Douban)

    Leng, a Rambo-style lone wolf fighter who miraculously dodges bullets and uses a mattress to stop a grenade, is charged with getting the adopted African child of a slain Chinese doctor to safety. He’s the first to survive a disease called “lamania” that has killed many locals, thanks to the doctor who discovered the cure before his death.
    China has long framed its partnerships in Africa as alliances of equals, built around mutual economic benefit. Now, China is stepping up its role as a humanitarian actor and protector of world peace. Earlier this month, China opened its first overseas military base, in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. It has 700 peacekeepers in South Sudan where it is also sending medical teams and food supplies.
    Wolf Warrior 2, China's highest grossing film ever, takes place in generic "war-ravaged Africa."


    A screenshot of the official trailer for Wolf Warrior 2. (Youtube/HK Cinema)

    When two Chinese peacekeepers were killed in fighting in South Sudan last year, Chinese officials and media described the men as heroes and their deaths as the price of China’s new status($) as a major power. Despite concerns about the experience and capabilities of Chinese peacekeepers, Chinese president Xi Jinping has pledged to increase China’s peacekeeping force to 8,000 troops, from the 2,600 deployed today.
    Like many Western films before it, the specifics of the African setting of Wolf Warriors 2 are irrelevant. The film was mostly shot in China and in Soweto in South Africa, but no country is ever named. Leng’s colleagues say they like Africa because of its good food, scenery, attractive women, and the opportunity to use their weapons.
    Reaction to the film in China has been mixed, we reported earlier this week, with the film receiving only 7.5 out of 10 on the film portal Douban. Commenters called the movie’s appeal to a sense of patriotism “phony” and testosterone-fueled. “The film tells us Chinese people can also save the world,” one commentator said.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #14
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    Second-Biggest Single-Market Film Ever After 'Force Awakens'

    Wolf Warrior 2 continues to dominate - plus some news on Sha Po Lang 3: Paradox


    Doubt it'll catch Force Awakens though.

    China Box Office: 'Wolf Warrior 2' Becomes Second-Biggest Single-Market Film Ever After 'Force Awakens'
    8:14 PM PDT 8/20/2017 by Patrick Brzeski


    Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
    'Wolf Warrior 2'

    The Chinese juggernaut climbed to $769 million and nudged aside 'Avatar' in the single-territory charts, with only 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' having earned more from one territory.

    Wolf Warrior 2 devoured the competition for a fourth consecutive weekend at the Chinese box office.

    The runaway action phenomenon, starring and directed by Wu Jing, added $35.7 million, lifting its local total to an astonishing $768.5 million after 25 days. The blockbuster also climbed higher in the all-time record books, nudging aside Avatar ($760.5 million) to become the second-biggest film ever in a single market. Only Star Wars: The Force Awakens earned more from one territory (($936.7 million, North America).

    Hong Kong-Chinese genre vehicle Paradox — the third film in Wilson Yip's SPL action franchise — came closest to unseating Wolf Warriors to date, earning $31.6 million from Friday to Sunday. The crime film, which stars Louis Koo and Thailand's Tony Jaa, opened Thursday and actually topped Wolf Warriors on its first two days. But it quickly fell far behind on Saturday and Sunday to finished the weekend in second place. The film's Thursday-to-Sunday debut totaled $41.4 million, just a notch below the $43.4 million four-day opening of its predecessor, SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015).

    Twenty Two, a documentary about the lives of the last surviving Chinese women who experienced forced prostitution at the hands of the Japanese military during WWII, opened Monday (Aug. 14) with just $610,000. But heavy buzz on social media helped the film expand throughout the week, lifting it to third for the weekend with $9 million. By Sunday, Twenty Two's six-day total sat at $18.6 million — an uncommonly strong showing for a nonfiction film in China.

    Other new releases included iQiyi Pictures' animated franchise title Seer Movie 6: Invincible Puni, which opened in fourth with $9.3 million, just ahead of Tencent's animated sequel One Hundred Thousand Bad Jokes 2 at $8.6 million.

    China's annual policy of blocking Hollywood releases during the late-summer blockbuster season — known locally as "domestic film industry protection month" — will come to a close this week when Luc Besson's Valerian, Disney's Cars 3 and Sony's Baby Driver open simultaneously Friday.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #15
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    A back-up plan? They need a general plan first.

    Wolf Warrior 2 rekindled Chollywood's rising.

    Wolf Warrior 2 and the Future of Imported Films in China
    By Matthew Dresden on August 21, 2017
    POSTED IN CHINA BUSINESS, CHINA FILM INDUSTRY



    What a wild ride it’s been for the Chinese film industry! Until July 27, it had been a year of one depressing story after another. Downward-trending box office, high-flying entertainment companies imploding, deals to purchase foreign assets falling through, the biggest movie studio on the planet sold to a real estate developer, the can’t miss co-production The Great Wall tanking. Even the Transformers franchise couldn’t save the day, with the latest installment performing well below expectations in China.

    But on July 27, the action film Wolf Warrior 2 opened, and within 12 days of its release it had already become the highest-grossing film of all time in China. As of this writing the film has pulled in more than $720 million in China alone. The narratives are almost writing themselves, with pundits trying to explain why Chinese people are going in droves to see a jingoistic film about a Chinese special forces operative in Africa.

    I’m not going to wade into those waters except to note William Goldman’s aphorism that when it comes to the film business, “Nobody knows anything.” The phenomenal success of Wolf Warrior 2 was anything but a foregone conclusion. The first movie was a surprise hit, earning about $89 million, but it’s not like people were lining up Episode 1-style for a sequel. Back in May, Wolf Warrior 2 was pilloried online when it came to light that its trailer had lifted footage from X-Men: First Class. Moreover, Wolf Warrior 2 was released on the same date as the government-backed propaganda film The Founding of an Army, and the latter was allotted the lion’s share of screens.

    This movie – this particular movie – couldn’t have come at a better time for China. Hollywood is in the midst of negotiating the terms of foreign (read: Hollywood) films’ market access to China. American studios find China’s protectionism exasperating on multiple levels, with the biggest complaints being (1) the quota system, which only allows 34 foreign films (largely US studio films) each year on a revenue-sharing basis (2) the low percentage of receipts allotted to the foreign studio (currently 25%) for such revenue-sharing films, and (3) the foreign studio’s inability to control the release date. The last point is more serious than might immediately be apparent – not only does the Chinese government determine when each film will be released (via a largely opaque process), it also imposes unofficial blackouts during which no new foreign films are allowed to be released.

    Aside from discussions about WTO obligations and fair play, US studios’ best argument for expanding access to the Chinese film market has been an economic one: Chinese audiences want to see American movies (and don’t particularly want to see Chinese movies), and with thousands of new screens every year, Chinese movie theaters need movies people want to see. In other words, limiting the number of American movies hurts the Chinese economy.

    Setting aside the fallacy that the Chinese government’s interests are aligned with those of Chinese theater owners, the success of Wolf Warrior 2 upends all of those arguments. Wolf Warrior 2 was released on the first day of a blackout period, and it is already the most successful movie in Chinese history. It is a Chinese-made movie, with purely (even exclusively) Chinese content, and Chinese theaters are raking in the money – and not having to send any of it overseas. The Chinese government will likely infer that Wolf Warrior 2’s success is not in spite of their protectionist policies, but because of them. And President Trump’s saber-rattling about a trade war isn’t likely to improve their attitude.

    I certainly hope the U.S. negotiating team is able to make some headway, but U.S. studios and production companies shouldn’t assume anything. They need a backup plan, and right now the best one seems to be investing in and otherwise creating productions in China solely for the Chinese market. A number of studios and production companies are already going down this road, and I think it’s the smart play. Better to be an investor in the next Wolf Warrior than to be shut out completely.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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