'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Creators Hope for China Success
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" creators are hoping that the movie will hit success in China after it premiered in Shanghai.
J.J. Abrams' movie has yet to formally debut in China next month and it has already hit more than $1 billion in revenue. After the Shanghai premiere, the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director told media in a conference that he was delighted to see the Shanghai audience laugh at exactly the same scenes that other audiences did, according to an Associated Press report published on Express & Star.
"It's a testament to the power of cinema, that it does not matter where you're from, you can get caught up in a story," said Abrams.
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While "Jurassic World" broke the 1 billion dollar mark in 13 days in June this year, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" managed to smash the same record in just 12 days. Moreover, the latter has not yet counted its revenue in China, the report details.
Disney distribution president Dave Hollis attributes the phenomenal success of the movie to repeat viewers, with some coming back to see it three or four times. He also recognized the contribution of the key role of Daisy Ridley's character Rey, who has helped increase the number of the female viewers, The Hollywood Reporter says.
Producer Kathleen Kennedy said she was overwhelmed with the success of the movie. She said they are hoping that "The Force Awakens" will be able to achieve the same level of success in China, the report relays.
For Hollywood, China has become very important because it has been a source of bigger revenue when the home audience fails to be impressed by a film project. In efforts to make their movies appeal to the second biggest movie market, some productions have tried incorporating Chinese themes into their movies, the report explains.
In connection with this, Kennedy revealed that Chinese and Hong Kong actors have become part of "Rogue One," the stand-alone "Star Wars" movie. She also said they could explore the mythologies in Chinese literature and incorporate them into the next installment of the movie.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" formally opens in China on Jan. 9, 2016.
