Hong Kong Action Flick ‘Firestorm’ Tops The Box Office In China

The Hong Kong action flick Firestorm was a very popular choice with moviegoers in China over the weekend. The film had absolutely no problem ascending to the top of the box office.

The story follows an inspector (Andy Lau) as he does whatever he can to take down a group of vicious criminals. Along the way, he’ll pushes his moral and professional boundaries to their breaking point. The film also stars such noted Chinese actors as Gordon Lam (Ip Man), Yao Chen (Control), and Hu Jun (Let the Bullets Fly).

Since Lau is a huge box office draw in China, writer-director Alan Yuen’s Hong Kong thriller had no problem separating moviegoers from their disposable income. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie grossed an impressive $27 million during its first four days on the big screen.

In fact, the top four spots at the Chinese box office belong to locally-crafted features. In addition to Yuen’s Firestorm, director Ning Hao’s controversial flick No Man’s Land landed in second place with $13 million in ticket sales. Although it was originally completed in 2009, the film’s negative portrayal of police reportedly resulted in the film’s delay for over three years.

Gordon Chan’s martial arts flick The Four 2 and Benny Chan’s Hong Kong crime thriller The White Storm rounded out the top four. Fans of Chinese cinema living in the States definitely have quite a few quality motion pictures looming on the horizon next year. Hopefully these flicks find domestic distribution in the coming months.

Of course, Hong Kong thrillers weren’t the only motion pictures that proved popular with audiences over the weekend. Director Alfonso Cuaron’s sci-fi drama Gravity continued to make quite a bit of money from moviegoers in China. The flick reportedly earned an additional $2.96 million during its theatrical run in the country.

The animated adventure flick Epic, which stars Amanda Seyfried and Josh Hutcherson, found its way into the number six slot with $1.26 million in receipts. Hutcherson’s other box office smash The Hunger Games: Catching Fire followed close behind with $770,000. The sequel’s total in China currently stands at $27 million.

With a little help from Hong Kong action flicks, mainland China productions, and big-budget Hollywood fare, the Chinese box office generated an extremely healthy $3.3 billion over the course of 2013. However, this number is sure to grow even larger once acclaimed director Feng Xiaogang’s comedy Personal Trainer and action veteran Jackie Chan’s highly-anticipated thriller Police Story 2013 arrive later this month.