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Liu Yifei stars in Disney’s “Mulan.”
Disney
Disney had high hopes that “Mulan” would thrive in China, but the live-action remake of the beloved animated film did not make the expected impact.
Heading into the weekend, public perception of the film had been clouded by calls for boycotts and some negative reviews. In the end, it posted just over $ 23 million over the three-day weekend, less than the $ 30 million Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” brought in from China during its first weekend a week ago.
Disney touted that the opening of “Mulan” was similar to the releases of “Cinderella” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” in the country, and was quick to note that the market was down almost 50% compared to last year. Notably, 2019’s “The Lion King” earned an opening of nearly $ 55 million in China last summer.
The study estimated that about 91% of cinemas in China were open during the weekend, most of which had a 50% attendance limit.
In the United States, a $ 20 million opening would be praised during the pandemic, but in China, it’s a negligible start. After all, “The Eight Hundred,” a local war epic, made $ 83 million during its debut last month. And that was with fewer theater venues open to the public.
“Warm. Dull. Abysmal. Take your pick. In a market where local content like ‘The 800’ is thriving, this is a huge failure for Disney,” said Jeff Bock, senior analyst at Exhibitor Relations. “China was supposed to be the savior of this movie, now it will depend on the success of premium video on demand on Disney +.”
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