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Successor: A comedy drama film that has taken the Chinese box office by storm
The Chinese film industry has once again proven its prowess with the release of “Successor,” a comedy-drama that has captivated audiences and critics alike. This film, which has already made a significant impact in China, is now set for an international roll-out starting early next month.
Rights to the film have been picked up by CMC Pictures, the Chinese studio behind the “The Meg” monster shark franchise. CMC Pictures will handle theatrical releases in North America, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Benelux, with the roll-out beginning on August 2.
A story of resilience and hope
“Successor” charts the ups and downs of a poor dad and a hardworking mom, living in a broken yard and seemingly having fallen behind others on the road to prosperity. The film delves into the struggles and triumphs of this family, offering a poignant yet humorous look at their journey.
The film officially opened in Chinese theaters on July 16 and earned an estimated $21 million on its first day. However, thanks to wide-scale previews, it finished its first day with an $89 million cumulative, dominating China’s most recent weekend charts. On both Saturday and Sunday, the film enjoyed more than 140,000 screening sessions in China.
A global phenomenon in the making
The previews nature of its Saturday release meant that “Successor” did not show up in global or weekend box office charts compiled by Comscore. However, Comscore confirmed that the picture earned about $21.5 million in previews on Saturday and a further $27.7 million on Sunday. These figures would have made “Successor” the third biggest film in the world over the weekend, behind only “Despicable Me 4″ and “Inside Out 2,” despite it playing for only two days.
The film is co-directed by Yan Fei and Peng Damo, known for their work on “Hello, Mr. Billionaire” and “Goodbye, Mr. Loser.” The main cast includes Shen Teng, Ma Li, Shi Pengyuan, Sa Rina, and Xiao Bochen. Production credits go to Zhang Lebin, Ma Chi, Tian Tian, and Zhang Meng.
A strategic release
While films mostly arrive in Chinese cinemas on Fridays, local distributors have been known to aggressively change release dates in response to building demand. “Box office pre-sales [in China] exceeded expectations, so the release was moved up,” a source close to CMC told Variety. ”This movie is really hilarious. From every aspect, it’s expected to be a phenomenon.”
Chinese ticketing agency Maoyan forecasts that “Successor” will continue to play strongly. It has more than doubled its estimate of the film’s potential lifetime gross, from a previous RMB1.6 billion ($220 million) to RMB3.7 billion ($513 million).
A promising future
According to an official synopsis, “Ma Chenggang and Ma Chunlan, ride their donkey to work and see their son, Ma Jiye, as their only hope of turning their fate around. Jiye is very promising, excelling academically every year. He is tough and determined. But as Jiye grows up, he perceives that the people around him are becoming more and more strange.”
Chinese sources provide a list of production credits that include many of the biggest companies in the mainland China entertainment scene. They include China Film Group, Guosi Lianrui Film, Alibaba Film Culture, Ruyi Entertainment, Kaixin Mahua Film, Maoyan Weiyin Media, and Wanda Media.
For those eager to get a glimpse of this cinematic marvel, you can watch the trailer and find more information about “Successor” here.
As “Successor” prepares for its international debut, it stands as a testament to the universal appeal of stories that touch on human resilience, hope, and the pursuit of dreams. The film’s success in China is just the beginning, and it will be fascinating to see how it resonates with audiences worldwide.
