Chinese movie goers set a box office record for the eve of the weeklong National Day holiday on Monday, with takings(票房收入)more than twice the previous record, according to several industry trackers. The major blockbusters(大片)contributing to the box office record were three new releases--My People, My Country, The Captain and The Climbers--which all opened on Monday.
Industry analyst Wu Nian said more than 80 film companies invested in the three blockbusters, which would provide a substantial boost to the recently lackluster market.
My People, My Country, a 158-minute anthology that saw seven famous directors join hands, dominated the box office, according to Maoyan(猫眼).
Consisting of seven short stories set in historic moments to look back at New China's 70years of existence, the movie was codirected by Chen Kaige as well as 6 other directors--who have all directed domestic hits or international award winners.
Chen, who served as chief director, said China has seen a huge transformation in the past seven decades. As the painstaking efforts of several generations had contributed to the country's achievements, Chen said the team working on the movie had decided to use it to revisit milestone moments through ordinary people's eyes.
Another highly anticipated film, The Captain, earned 194 million yuan to occupy second place on the box office charts.
Starring actor Zhang Hanyu, the film is based on heroic Sichuan Airlines pilot Liu Chuanjian, who completed one of the most miraculous emergency landings in China's civil aviation history.
Also adapted from real events, The Climbers grossed 157 million yuan on Monday. With a stellar cast including Zhang Ziyi and Wu Jing, the film is about Chinese mountaineers' ascent to the summit of Mount Qomolangma, via its perilous north ridge in 1960 and 1975.Wu Jing said the film filled a gap in the market, with sports-themed titles quite rare in the world's second-largest movie market.
Aside from the three blockbusters, eight other films--covering a wide range of styles from animation to fantasy-will be released during the holiday ending on Oct 7.
