'Transformers 2' Becomes Biggest-Ever China Hit

HONG KONG — The "Transformers" sequel has become China's biggest box office hit ever by earning 400 million Chinese yuan ($59 million), a publicist for the country's leading state-run film company said Friday.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" surpassed the 11-year-old record of 360 million yuan set by "Titanic," spokesman Weng Li at the China Film Group, one of the country's two film importers, told The Associated Press. "Titanic" made about $43 million based on exchange rates in 1998, the year it was released.

Weng said the "Transformers" sequel, released June 24, received a wide release on several thousand screens. China had about 4,100 screens by the end of 2008. The first "Transformers" installment raked in 280 million yuan in 2007.

"This is a tremendous achievement for the market in China and clearly shows that there is a strong growing demand for international films," said Mike Ellis, Asia-Pacific managing director of the Hollywood trade organization, Motion Picture Association of America.

The group wants China to relax its movie import quota of allowing in just 20 foreign blockbusters a year, aimed at boosting its domestic industry.

Weng said both installments of John Woo's two-part Chinese historical epic "Red Cliff" earned 300 million yuan ($44 million) this year and last, as did Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's 2008 romantic comedy "If You Are the One."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," a science fiction movie, was apparently slightly censored. In the film's opening sequence, the Autobots and Decepticons battle in an industrial part of Shanghai, but when a U.S. military commander refers to the city, the word "Shanghai" is muffled.

Chinese censors are sensitive to portrayals of their country in foreign movies.

The "Transformers" record also highlights the earning potential of Hollywood films in China. But with piracy a lingering problem and moviegoing largely the habit of wealthier urbanites, the growing Chinese box office revenues remain small compared to the U.S.

The "Transformers" sequel earned $62 million on its opening day in the U.S. alone. The $200 million production has grossed $348 million in the U.S. and $380 million outside the country, according to the box office tracking Web site Box Office Mojo.

Chinese box office revenues totaled 4.3 billion yuan ($630 million) in 2008, compared to $9.8 billion in the U.S. in the same year.

Comments

[comepo]

Guess Chinese people like Megan Fox as much as Americans:
http://www.actressscene.com/2009/06/megan-fox-in-transformers.html

[Andrew Shapter]

Michael Bay called my eight year old daughter to ask her advice on directing this movie. Glad to see he listened to her.

Not really.

[jimmyjones22]

so you're not really glad he listened to her?

[toxicbrainpoison]

I dount theyll be allowed to see the new Michael Moore flick.

[IronValkyrie]

I find it curious that, despite every making it clear they hated the new Transformers movie, it still raked in the cash to pay for it's production.

While I understand that there are many folks out there that think every movie made needs to serve some purpose, such as education, inspiration, or what have you, there is still a market in the world at large for loud, fun movies that serve no actual purpose.

After all, it is called the 'entertainment' industry.

Feel free to love your indie flicks, if that is your flavor. Kindly don't bash those of us who actually do love a good silly action flick. After all, the money from those big silly action flicks often goes to pay for those indie flicks to get the attention they do, via the studios.

[mabinog]

I like big silly action flicks but they did not make a new movie, they pored over the first one, picked out all the things that "worked" and then made up a lousy screenplay around them.

It blew

[wrender]

The reason movies like this continue to be made is because people continue to spend their hard-earned money to see them. I often get into discussions about this with people who always want to blame Hollywood. But, the producers, etc just understand what people buy, so they continue to make the junk that sells. The fact that we continue to support it says much more about the world at large than it does about Hollywood. We live in an age of mediocrity where talent and creativity has been replaced by mindless spectacle. We get what we deserve.

[IronValkyrie]

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's all about mindless spectacle.

While Hollywood does indeed understand what to sell, and how to sell it, just because I watched Transformers 2 and enjoyed it doesn't make me part of a mindless, apathetic society.

For example, I'm a huge fan of Myazaki, and think his films are pure genius.

Perhaps, it's possible, there's just a lot of people out there who enjoy movies for what they are, and now, as many say, what they should be.

[wrender]

I too have spent a good deal of money on moves like this. The latest Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies being the most notable. All of those turned out to be big disappointments. The more aware I am of the problems of movies these days, the more I feel a personal responsibility to do something about it. And the power to change something lies in the way we spend our money. So, yeah I don't mean to categorize people into being "mindless and apathetic", but it sure seems that Hollywood does.

I don't think Miyazaki fits into what I was talking about. My concern is with the endless remakes and sequels that get peddled to us. I've seen enough of them now to have learned my lesson.

[Thaencyder]

now get ready for other countless stupid movies with full of explosions by Michael Bay and his friends.

[MiHi]

The sad/scary thing is that this setting a VERY bad precedent. No matter how gawd-awful a movie, so long as there is a big enough country to be stupid for it, Hollywood will keep cranking out the moronic sequels.

Hollywood has abandoned the notion that it is an AMERICAN industry, but one that will sell itself out to the highest bidder, no matter where, no matter to whom.

Without a doubt, Hollywood studios would GLADLY produce videos for Al Qaeda that show Americans being beheaded if they thought there's enough money to be made from it.

[deanarel]

I was thinking the same thing. Of course you could argue that this kind of precedent has already been set (e.g. Titanic in 1997, seemingly endless Harry Potter films), but this is considerably worse - it's Transformers 2 for God's sake.

I get the feeling we're in for another Transformers movie. Then another sequel, then a prequel... ugh.

[113]

i am still so pissed that transformers 2 was SOOO BAD, because the 1st was was A GREAT SUMMER MOVIE and i loved the first one and had high hopes for 2...but bay really dropped the ball on 2 ugh.

[MiHi]

France is gaga over Jerry Lewis, and China loves Transformers 2.

What more needs to be said.?

[LMPE]

I got no interest in that movie. After "Armageddon", I vowed never to watch another Michael Bay movie.

If anyone in China sees the Romanian movie "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days", they'll like it a lot better than any dumb action flick.

[sosi]

After the Americans, now they are dumbing down the Chinese too...

[ObliqueReference]

On the bright side movies like this only serve to kill brain cells- those over-achieving Chinese kids will become as dumbed-down and jaded as America's kids- slowing the dreaded Chinese takeover of the world. Savy geo-political strategy, Mr. Bay!

[SCARAB]

One big commercial for WAR !!!

[munki]

everything need to be BIG... in China...

So, what will be the next?

[KataVideo]

That dreck is the biggest ever? Geez, bring back Mao for their own good. Honestly, I'd pick the "cultural revolution" over a michael bey movie any day.

[Bitsko]

Dreck is the word for it. My nephew dragged me to it. He owes me a decent movie next time.

[ConfuciusSay-]

Ehh, the movie's not that bad.

And that puppy is very cute.

[nycwerewolf]

A racist movie for a country that would like nothing better than see us fail. I hope people wake up to the fact that China is not our friend.

[victorsays]

Why are American so damn racist against the Chinese? Chinese people were victim of white racism ever since they stepped foot in this country. Chinese watch American movies with white people on there, while Hollywood is still castrating Asian men.

White people can't even make a show in NYC with a couple minorities. I seriously doubt that the Chinese want to see American fail. It is the other way around. The American want to see the Chinese fail so they can become a perpetual slave shop for American decadent lifestyle. Who is racist here?

Everyone in the world is being forced fed a dose of American pop culture, but how much of other people culture do American really know. It is people like you who make me pissed of. The intolerant one here is you.

[TokyoCalling]

I have to agree with you. Its a behavioral pattern that the US never seems to break. Ironically if it was not for Chinese films there would be no Action movies in the US these days. All the fight scenes are choreographed by China's best directors or stolen from their decades of work developing the now industry standard action style. They count on the ignorant public not to know or be interested in that fact.

[Winston Smith]

Uh, do you know what irony means?

[Winston Smith]

Maybe it is that anything interesting that China had to offer was wiped out by Chairman Mao.

I live in America and completely ignore American pop culture surely the people of China can.

[bowthai]

I hope people wake up to the fact that there's a difference between a government and its people. I don't know where you are getting the idea that China is not our friend or who you are even referring to. Please spend some time in the country or learn a few more things about it first before making such assertions. China needs a successful US, at least for the time being, in order to stay afloat, so the last thing they're wishing for is an economic meltdown. Little too late for that though

But I agree that it's a racist movie.