Upcoming films expected to 'rescue' sluggish market

Seemingly still struggling to end the post-National Day lackluster run, the domestic movie market is gearing up for 44 new releases in Nov, with some expecting to warm up the market.

Data on Beacon, a live box-office tracker, show that the country grossed 880 million yuan ($133.7 million) in Nov, while the haul for same month in 2019 was 3.6 billion yuan.

Most industry analysts believe the shortage of appealing blockbusters – partly caused by suspension of shooting during COVID-19 quarantine months – was the major cause for the sluggish market.

Although the Nov lineup seems a bit low profile, diehard movie enthusiasts might still be capable to discover their favorite.

Caught in Time, based on China's campaign on illegal guns in early 1990s, may put crime thriller enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.

The film, set to open on Nov 20, teams up Tokyo International Film Festival award-winning actor Wang Qianyuan and Chinese-American star Daniel Wu, once a heartthrob for a generation of Chinese women. Again, barely caring about his look as a star, Wu plays a ruthless gangster who looks a bit scary.

For families expecting to entertain children after school, Universal Picture and DreamWork's latest outing The Croods 2: A New Age is an appealing option. Seven years ago, the first Croods film earned over $760 million, becoming a global hit.

The new film will find Grug facing a new problem – his beloved daughter Eep wants to leave and start her own family. Besides, it features a lot of fantasy prehistoric animals, including spider-wolf hybrids and the punch monkeys.

Master director Zhang Yimou's long-awaited work One Second will open the same time as Croods 2 on Nov 27.

Starring actor Zhang Yi, who has earned more popularity thanks to his two recent war blockbusters The Eight Hundred and The Sacrifice, the film follows a fugitive's trek over thousands of kilometers across a treacherous desert to seek a video clip, which contains only one second of footage of his late daughter.

Adapted from Daisuke Igarashi 's manga of the same name, Japanese animated film Children of the Sea, to be released on Nov 20, will be a heartwarming tale for Renaissance youngsters.

Following a young girl's fantastic encounter with two boys said to be raised by sea cows, the story follows the girl to wander between the stars and oceans, taking a glimpse of the 'secret' of the world and human beings. The movie has picturesque scenes that appear almost painted on the screen.