Mulan sees slow start in China with £18m opening weekend despite costing £155m
Film was released in Chinese cinemas a week after making its international debut on Disney+
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Mulan has struggled to make its desired impact in China after taking only $23.2m (£18m) in its opening weekend.
Disney’s live action remake opened in Chinese cinemas on Friday (11 September) after long delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The film, which cost $200m (£155m) to produce, was made with both American and Chinese audiences in mind and stars a cast of popular Chinese actors, including Liu Yiefei as Mulan as well as Gong Li, Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
However, the film struggled to meet its predicted targets during its opening weekend, taking $23.2m across the country. It had been predicted to make between $30m (£23m) and $40m (£31m) during this period, even with the coronavirus pandemic limiting cinema audiences.
Mulan has also been earning middling scores on China’s leading ticket apps, Maoyan, where it is rated 7.6 and Douban, where it is rated 4.9, Deadline reports.
International ticket sales for Mulan are hard to measure, as the film was released exclusively on streaming service Disney+ in a number of territories for a premium price. Disney has not released statistics regarding these sales.
The Independent’s film critic Clarisse Loughrey gave Mulan a four-star review, calling it “the best of the Disney remakes so far”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments