Wave of national pride prompts record box-office haul

When high school teacher Pan Xiaona read about a film being shot about the legendary story of Sichuan Airlines pilot Liu Chuanjian last year, it immediately caught her attention.

Liu made a miraculous emergency landing after a section of the cockpit windshields shattered at an altitude of almost 10,000 meters, making the veteran captain somewhat of the Chinese answer to Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the heroic pilot featured in Miracle on the Hudson.

So when tickets for the film The Captain went on sale in early September, Pan planned to book three tickets for her family two days ahead of the opening day, which was Sept 30.