HONG KONG -- John Woo's "Red Cliff," the most expensive Asian film ever, enjoyed a boffo start to its theatrical career across East Asia, where part one of the two-part epic bowed in six territories.
While figures for Thailand have yet to emerge, summing of reported actuals from four territories and distributor estimate from one other territory points to an opening weekend above $25 million.
China Film Group Monday reported that the film grossed RMB108 million ($15.8 million) from approximately 1,400 screens in 637 theaters.
In South Korea, Showbox reported an admissions total over 800,000 from 437 screens. That equates to a gross for the Thursday to Sunday four day weekend of $5.6 million and a per screen average of $12,800.
Performance in Taiwan was stellar. The pic was released on 120 prints by the film's Taiwanese investor and distributor CMC Entertainment in association with 20th Century Fox, and enjoyed a four day weekend of NT$36.9 million ($1.21 million) in Taipei and NT$75 million ($2.47 million) territory-wide.
In Hong Kong, where "Cliff" is handled by Mei Ah in collaboration with Edko Films, "Cliff" climbed to HK$10.6 million ($1.36 million) over the four day weekend. Running on 60 screens, that delivers a screen average of $22,600.
In Singapore, pic was released on Friday by distributor Scorpio East on 46 prints, with a single session of sneak previews on Thursday night. Preview earned S$45,000 ($33,000) with Friday clocking in at S$240,000 ($176,000.) Company said that it regarded as "very, very positive," a 65% jump on Saturday to S$420,000 ($309,000), for a two days plus preview cume of S$705,000 ($518,000.) Scorpio forecast that cume would comfortably top S$850,000 ($625,000) for the three day weekend, but thanks to a very strong Sunday enjoyed a three day cume of S$1.02 million ($756,000).
Company said that "Cliff" beat "Hellboy 2" during the like for like three days, but with a day of head start Hellboy topped the chart with a four day (Thursday to Sunday) cume of S$1.08 million ($800.000.)
Chinese opening day total was in excess of RMB25 million ($3.65 million) on Thursday, its first day of release in mainland China. That led CFG's topper Han Sanping to forecast Friday that the pic would pass the RMB100 million landmark ($14.6 million) by the end of the four-day opening weekend. In the end his forecast was on the low side.
The Taiwanese opening, a powerful NT$16 million ($526,000,) was the biggest first day figure of the year in that territory and a one day screen average of $4,380. On Sunday, CMC reported that the three day total (Thursday through Saturday) had risen to NT$58 million ($1.91 million.) Sunday clocked in at NT$17 million ($560,000.)
In South Korea Showbox, the movie's investor and distributor, reported 139,000 admissions on opening day. That equated to an approximate $973,000 from 437 screens, for a one day per screen average of $2,227.
Hong Kong first day total on Thursday was HK$2,000,830 ($257,500) from 60 sites for a single day per screen average of $4,280.
Showbox says the opening day figure is the highest ever for a Chinese film in Korea. In comparison "Hero" enjoyed 58,000 admissions on its opening day and "House of Flying Daggers," 60,000 admissions. "Cliff" opening day knocked "Hancock" down to 79,000 admissions Thursday, or an estimated gross of $550,000.
Company played the pic, which the distribber trimmed by nine minutes, six times per day in Seoul multiplexes and five times per day in suburbs and second city venues. It occupied five screens at the COEX Megabox, which in several recent years has been the world's busiest cinema, with the 8.30am screening on Thursday reportedly 70% full. Showbox said that casting of Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro helped it score well with older demographic sectors.
Second week will coincide with beginning of holidays for high schools and competition from local blockbuster "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," which is already enjoying strong advanced bookings.
Pic received a generally positive critical reception in Hong Kong. Bloggers and online commentators liked the action scenes and said that the movie did not feel as long as its 2-hour 20-minutes run time. But others also said that pic was weighed down with heavy expectations. In Hong Kong pic has to deal with stiff competition from "Kung Fu Panda" and "Hancock" still playing on large numbers of screens.
In China, the path has been largely cleared for "Red Cliff's" outing with considerably less competition. Additionally, tickets to the biggest movies in China are often priced at premium rates on opening day.
Malaysia releases part one on Thursday this week, Japan follows in November. Throughout Asia the pic is being released in two parts, with the second part skedded for January 2009, likely coinciding with the Lunar New Year.
© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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