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'The Eight Hundred' becomes the first blockbuster in post-COVID China, earns $112.3m in opening weekend

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Aug 24, 2020, 08:45 PM IST
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Photograph:(Twitter)

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Directed by Guan Hu (Mr Six), the film's story highlights the sacrifices made by a ragtag group of Chinese soldiers in 1937 Shanghai as imperial Japanese troops advanced.

Chinese film 'The Eight Hundred' has had a flying start at the box office. It is the first Chinese film to get a theatrical release in China post COVID. While theatres are running at 50% capacity, the film has earned big bucks and already become the first blockbuster in post covid world.

Produced by the Hyuai Brothers, the film has raked in $79.6m in the first three days since its August 21 release date. The film, according to reports, has so far earned a cumulative total of $112.3m including earnings from previews shows.

Trade pundits have been pleasantly surprised by the figures considering the Chinese cinemas are running at 50% occupancy and are complying with social distancing regulations.

Directed by Guan Hu (Mr Six), the film's story highlights the sacrifices made by a ragtag group of Chinese soldiers in 1937 Shanghai as imperial Japanese troops advanced. The ensemble cast includes Ou Hao, Wang Qianyuan, Jiang Wu and Huang Xiaoming.

Interestingly, the audience has been raving the film and terming it as a typical patriotic tear-jerker- which matches with the country's 70th-anniversary celebration of the founding of the People's Republic. The film, though, had a delayed release as Chinese authorities delayed the film's release last summer as they felt the film was apparently sending wrong patriotic messages.

It was also pulled out last minute as the opening film of last year’s Shanghai International Film Festival.  

Made on a reported budget of $80 million, it is the first Chinese film to be entirely shot with Imax cameras.