Society

'Bullets' to break box office record for Chinese films

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-22 11:37

BEIJING - Jiang Wen's latest film "Let the Bullets Fly," a Chinese New Year blockbuster, has raked in 660 million yuan ($100 million) in the Chinese mainland, putting it on course to break the record for domestic films, the film's producer has said.

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The producer, Ma Ke, was quoted by Saturday's Beijing News as saying that initial statistics showed "Let the Bullets Fly" has raked in 660 million yuan in box office since its debut on December 16.

The film, starring Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat, mainland actor Ge You and Jiang Wen himself, has made 200 million yuan within five days of its release.

Eying a total box office of 700 million yuan, Ma said it could be expected that the "Bullets" would soon smash the domestic box office record of 673 million yuan set by director Feng Xiaogang's quake film "Aftershock" released earlier last year.

Setting in a remote town in early 20th century, the film, studded with the usual black humor and slapstick comedy of Jiang style, was summarized by the director himself as a modern-day Robinhood's battle with a town bully.

It has become such a hit that the government ordered in late December a crackdown on the pirated videos of the "Bullets" together with another Chinese New Year blockbuster "If You Are the One II" directed by Feng Xiaogang.