Hero breaks box-office record for a domestic film
Movie-goers in Guangdong panned Zhang Yimou's martial arts epic Hero but still filled cinemas in such great numbers that they helped it become the highest-grossing domestically made movie.
By Wednesday, three weeks after the film opened to the public, box office receipts had exceeded 200 million yuan (HK$190 million), with Guangdong contributing 33 million yuan.
The record is held by Titanic, which grossed 360 million yuan, but the three-hour movie was screened in two sessions and tickets had to be bought for each session.
Hero fuelled a lively debate on the merits - and the faults - of the film among Guangdong audiences. Viewers complained the plot was weak and unrealistic. They said it copied the award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and was geared at Western audiences.
Analysts said a successful promotion campaign, aided by the secrecy that surrounded the movie during its filming and Zhang's stature, made Hero a must-see.
'It has an all-star cast and each of the stars has his or her own following,' said Zhao Jun, the general manager of the Guangdong Movie Co.
With about two weeks to go before the film ends its scheduled mainland run, Mr Zhao is predicting receipts of 250 million yuan nationwide and up to 37 million yuan in Guangdong.
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