China Box Office: “Moon Man” has a huge opening weekend

Sci-fi comedy Moon Man rocketed to $130 million in its opening weekend, helping the Chinese box office defy gravity.

Data from consulting firm Artisan Gateway showed that the film grossed RMB873 million (US$130 million) over three days and accounted for as much as 90% of the nation’s weekend box office.

The strong results came despite some cinemas remaining closed in key markets and capacity constraints in others.

Moon Man tells the story of the “last man in the universe” when an astronaut is stranded on the moon after an asteroid wipes out life on Earth.

Directed by Zhang Chiyu, who previously directed the 2017 sports comedy Never Say Die.

It was produced by Mahua FunAge, a consistently successful comedy production company with credits including Hello Mrs Money and Goodby Mr Loser, along with Alibaba Pictures.

Imax reported that the film has earned US$6.4 million (including previews) at its theaters in China, making Imax China’s largest three-day summer opening weekend since September 2019. It also said that Imax theaters accounted for 16 of the top 20 grossing theaters nationwide.

One of the most anticipated Chinese blockbusters of the year, more than 1.4 million movie fans rated “Moon Man” as a “Want to see” on China’s online platforms ahead of its release. The film has received excellent feedback from audiences, with scores of 9.4 and 9.5 on Maoyan and Taopiao, respectively.

“We are very encouraged by the outstanding opening of ‘Moon Man,’ which is a clear sign that audiences are ready to return to theaters for the IMAX experience,” said Edwin Tan, CEO of IMAX China. “Moon Man marks a pivotal milestone in the film industry’s recovery this year, as well as a major leap forward in the production of Chinese sci-fi blockbusters.”

Film crews carried 200 tons of sand and gravel to an area of ​​6,000 square meters spanning 15 studios and built a scale model of a lunar base. About 95% of the Moon Man shots use special and visual effects.

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