Game for movie?

In a surprise for Chinese animation, Tencent's big-screen feature is breaking records, Xu Fan reports.

Scan the 2-D code on the big screen, shake your smartphone, and the movie you are watching will end differently. Sounds like a game? Actually, it's the latest installment of Roco Kingdom, the feature-length movie franchise developed by one of China's largest game companies, Tencent Holdings. Roco Kingdom 4: Valley of Giants, the latest in the series, has made record presale earnings of 100 million yuan ($16 million), the highest figure by a domestic animation title of all time, and grossed nearly 40 million yuan, since it opened in mainland theaters on Aug 13. Another record statistic says the movie, so far, has had 80 percent seat occupancy in each screening, much higher than the average 50 percent for animation movies.

During this year's Beijing International Film Festival, the movie was selected as the only animation title among some 22 Chinese movies recommended by the festival's organizers.