'Mulan' Falls 72% at Chinese Box Office as 'The Eight Hundred' Crosses $400 Million

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‘Mulan’ Falls 72% at Chinese Box Office as ‘The Eight Hundred’ Crosses $400 Million

by Jeremy Fuster | September 20, 2020 @ 10:01 AM

Huayi Bros. war film set to pass “Bad Boys for Life” as 2020’s highest grossing film

It’s more bad news for Disney at the Chinese box office as “Mulan” has fallen 72% from its $23.2 million opening weekend, earning just $6.5 million in its second weekend for a total of $36.2 million.

At this pace, the Disney remake starring Liu Yifei is set to finish its Chinese theatrical run with just $45 million, less than the $53 million earned by last year’s live-action remake of “Aladdin.” Even factoring the usual steep drop that Hollywood imports suffer after opening weekend in China, it’s a sign that Chinese audiences have once again rejected Americanized depictions of their history and culture, even with popular Chinese actors headlining the cast.

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By contrast, Huayi Bros.’ “The Eight Hundred” has continued to perform well in China, crossing $400 million in Chinese grosses and becoming one of the country’s top 10 highest grossing films with an estimated $417 million total. It is soon set to pass the $428 million global gross earned by Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life” to become the highest grossing film of 2020’s pandemic-stricken box office.

Also Read: 'Mulan' Is Sinking at the Chinese Box Office, and Here Are 3 Reasons Why

As “The Eight Hundred” continues to leg out more than a month after its release, China’s film board has extended the $80 million movie’s run to October 21, making a domestic run of at least $450 million a certainty with continued IMAX support. Even better news for the country’s movie theaters is that health officials are loosening restrictions, allowing cinemas to raise their auditorium capacity limits to 75% in advance of the country’s National Day holiday beginning on October 1.

The National Day holiday is expected to be a major opportunity for the Chinese film industry to rebound after being shutdown by COVID-19 for over six months, including during the lucrative Lunar New Year holiday. The anthology drama “My People, My Homeland,” created to honor the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, is expected to lead the box office charts next month. There is also the possibility that the highly anticipated blockbuster “Detective Chinatown 3” could get a release date in Q4 2020 after it was delayed back in February, though a new date has not been confirmed.

“Mulan,” based on a popular 1998 animated film about a young girl who poses as a man to join the army fighting a Hun invasion, skipped theaters in the U.S. and many other overseas markets for a premium release on the Disney+ streaming service. So far, the studio has provided no data on the number of subscribers or revenue from that release.

16 Live-Action Disney Movies in the Works After 'Mulan' (Photos)

Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of its animated classics for a long time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
"Cruella"
Extracted from the famous villainess of 1961’s “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” this origin story of a woman who declares open season on purebred puppies -- Cruella de Vil -- stars Emma Stone. The reigning live-action Cruella is Glenn Close, who herself starred in two live-action adaptations. It's due in theaters May 28, 2021.
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"Jungle Cruise"

OK, OK, "Jungle Cruise" might not count as live-action film based on a previously animated classic, but it is based on a ride at Disneyland, so we're going to include it. Plus, we'll take any chance to talk about Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in the same sentence. It will hit theaters July 30, 2021.
Disney
"The Little Mermaid"
So now we're getting into films that are in some stage of development but haven't necessarily been slated for release. After all, Disney has so many untitled films slated, it's hard to count. But a live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" has been long discussed, as it is arguably one of the most popular and profitable movies in Disney's vault. Rob Marshall is on board direct, with newcomer Halle Bailey set to star as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian the crab.
Disney
"Pinocchio"

"Pinocchio" is also in the works, with Tom Hanks playing Geppetto.
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"The Jungle Book 2"
This is a no-brainer follow-up to Favreau's hit from spring 2016, based on the animated classic released in 1967.
Disney
"Rose Red"
This one is trippy (no pun over producer Tripp Vinson), but promising creatively. In the German fairy tale, Rose Red is Snow White's sister. Disney and Vinson are collaborating on introducing the world to the sibling of the famous apple-loving princess. Disney released the original "Snow White" in 1937.
Disney
"Snow White"
Forget her sister -- the original baddest chick in the Disney animated kingdom is coming back for her own standalone film. It was announced at the end of October 2016.
Disney
"Aladdin 2"

After the $1 billion-plus box office success of 2019's Will Smith-led "Aladdin," the studio announced in February 2020 that John Gatins and Andrea Berloff would write a sequel.
"Hercules"

Talk about going from zero to hero. The original 1997 retelling of Greek myths was a box office underachiever, but developed a big enough cult following that the studio announced plans for a live-action remake in April 2020, with "Avengers: Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony Russo producing.
Disney
"Peter Pan"
Neverland will get a practical set if Disney has its way updating the 1953 animated film.
Disney
"James and the Giant Peach"
In one of the more interesting adaptations, this beloved Roald Dahl book became a quirky claymation hit for Disney in 1996 with director Henry Selick. Heavy dramatist director Sam Mendes was attached to take a stab at it, but he has since dropped out.
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"Hunchback"

In early 2019, a live-action film based on 1996's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was announced. Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang was tapped to pen the script, with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz handling the music.
Disney
"Tinker Bell"

This movie has also been in the works for quite some time, with Reese Witherspoon attached as the cute little fairy from "Peter Pan."
Disney
"Bambi"

In January 2020, Disney hired Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Captain Marvel") and Lindsey Beer (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,”) to write the script for the live-action remake of the 1942 animated classic.
"Oliver Twist"
While Disney never formally made a direct animated take on Charles Dickens' beloved orphan, the studio did release the adorable 1988 "Oliver and Company," inspired by Dickens' tale but told with animals. The studio also made a small-screen live-action version in 1997 with Richard Dreyfuss.
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"Lilo & Stitch"

And another film that is supposed to get the live-action treatment and some point. This project was announced in October 2018 with Mike Van Waes attached to pen the script. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback are producing.
Disney

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The studio is raiding its vault to remake classics including “The Little Mermaid”

Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of its animated classics for a long time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.

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