Step Aside 'Star Wars,' China's Box Office is About to be Ravaged by CGI Bears

In what kind of Twilight Zone do we live in where a film like Boonie Bears 3 receives more screenings and is currently doing way better in the box office than Star Wars: The Force Awakens? We guess the furry culture here is way more popular and lucrative than something nerdy and internationally fetishized like Star Wars. 

In its second weekend Star Wars earned a meager USD 14.82 million from January 16-17, and though it is currently about to pass the USD 100 million mark, which is still far below what Disney and Lucas Films were hoping considering their larger than life marketing campaign that sent storm troopers to the Great Wall and X-fighters to shopping malls across the country.

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While it is still estimated to gross about the same amount of money as Terminator: Genysis (USD 111 million) or Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (USD 135 million), this is nothing compared to the USD 1.81 billion it has earned globally. In the first weekend, Boonie Bears 3 earned USD 15.08 million. This is partially because showings of Star Wars were reduced from 167,060 around China to a mere 66,568. Is this a result to the poor response from moviegoers to the Star Wars franchise reboot or is it just good business to clear some room for a China-made low-budget animated franchise that has been known to kill it in theaters? 

We’ll have to wait to find out, but as it stands this CCTV animated series produced by Fantawild Holdings and LeVision will likely hold the top slot until Kung Fu Panda 3 lands on January 29.

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Email: danielkippwhittaker@thebeijinger.com

Photo: Awn.com