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 Disney Live-Action Remakes of Animated Hits in the Works (Photos)
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Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of their animated classics for a long time time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
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Disney"Jungle Cruise"
Okay, okay, "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 24, 2020.
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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 Halle Bailey set to star as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. -
Getty Images/Disney
"Pinocchio"
"Pinocchio" is also in the works, with Tom Hanks playing Geppetto.
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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
"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
"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. -
"Aladdin"
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Disney
"Hercules"
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Disney
"Peter Pan"
Neverland will get a practical set if Disney has its way updating the 1953 animated film. -
YouTube
"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. -
Disney
"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.
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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."
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"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.
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Getty Images
"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. -
Disney
"Lilo & Stitch"
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. In November of last year, it was announced that Jon M. Chu was in early talks to direct.
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"The Lion King" Sequel
In September, it was announced that Barry Jenkins would direct the follow-up to Jon Favreau's 2019 hit. The logline is being kept under wraps, but Deadline reported that the film will explore the mythology of the other characters in Pride Rock, including Mufasa’s origin story.
No release date for the next film has been set, and it’s unclear when production would begin. No cast has been set either.
The studio is raiding its vault to remake classics including ”The Little Mermaid“
Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of their animated classics for a long time time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
Jeremy Fuster
Box Office Reporter • jeremy.fuster@thewrap.com • Twitter: @jeremyfuster