Original title: 38 movies to heat up the “off season” (theme)
In March, artistic films and imported blockbusters became the main attractions in the film market (subtitle)
Beijing Evening News reporter Wang Jinyue
Literary films focus on female topics and are full of humanistic sentiments
Most of the literary films scheduled for release in March have won various major awards and have been recognized by the industry and insiders. At the same time, these works also have the characteristics of biopics. By describing the relationship between individuals, families, and changes in the times, they show their ups and downs and the flavor of the times, and are full of strong humanistic sentiments.
On March 1, “Oppenheimer” directed by Christopher Nolan will be re-released. This historical biopic full of literary and artistic flavor will undoubtedly become one of the most watched films at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. .
On March 8, the movie “Chasing the Moon” starring He Saifei was released. The film was shortlisted for the main competition section of the Tiantan Award at the 12th Beijing International Film Festival in 2022. He Saifei, who plays the female lead “Teacher Qi”, won the Best Actress at the 36th China Golden Rooster Award in 2023. The film is adapted from the novel “The Past” by writer Ai Wei. The original work won the Novelette Award at the 8th Lu Xun Literature Award. It can be said to be a pure literary film. The film has two major highlights: First, He Saifei’s wonderful acting skills. In the film, she is good at performing Yue opera arias, but also the pain of a mother and a terminally ill patient being complained and scolded by their children. In particular, the many crying scenes are well executed. . In addition, the film touches on topics such as the sacrifices and contributions made by actresses for their careers, the harm caused by the original family to the growth of children, and the “reconciliation” between the two generations. After watching it, people can’t calm down for a long time.
The film “Kong Xiu” directed by Wang Chao is also scheduled to be released on March 8. The film is adapted from the semi-autobiographical novel “Dream” by writer Zhang Xiuzhen. It tells the story of Kong Xiu, a female printing and dyeing factory worker from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s. The story of how Chen Shiyu (played by Chen Shiyu) got rid of the shackles of marriage and became a writer. Wang Chao’s works are known for their keen insight into real life and strong judgment. This time, he uses a literary film to express female individuals in the changing times. It is full of humanistic care and makes people look forward to it.
The movie “Brilliant Her” directed by Xu Wei focuses on actors such as Hui Yinghong and Liu Haocun. It tells the story of Jiayi (played by Liu Haocun) who lived a dark life until she was 17 years old, until she met her grandmother Jiang Xiuzhi (played by Hui Yinghong). Only then did I begin to shine brighter and regain the ability to love. The film is scheduled to be released on March 15.
On March 29, the 2023 Palme d’Or winner at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival “The Fall” will be released in mainland China. Directed by Justin Trier, the film tells the story of a successful writer who is accused of murdering her husband, and the tortuous trial leads to scrutiny of marriage. This is also the second Palme d’Or film to be released in mainland China after “Shoplifters”.
In addition, “Mr. Red Carpet” and “Let’s Shake the Sun Together”, which were withdrawn from the Spring Festival schedule, are scheduled to be released on March 15 and March 30 respectively. Although the box office of the two films was not high before, their reputation was very good. On the “want to see” index of Maoyan Professional Edition, both films ranked first among the films scheduled for release on the same day.
Imported blockbuster “hardcore” returns
The three imported blockbusters “Dune 2”, “Kung Fu Panda 4” and “Godzilla vs. Kong: Rise of an Empire” all have their own highlights and are expected to generate good box office revenue this month.
The re-release of “Dune” on March 1 is a warm-up for “Dune 2” which will be released on March 8. The latter was released in North America and some countries and regions on March 1, and achieved a good box office of US$180 million in its first week, far exceeding the performance of “Dune”. “Dune 2” is much better than “Dune” in terms of plot development, action scene production, and character relationship advancement. For viewers who like Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name and Denis Villeneuve’s directorial style, “Dune 2” is not to be missed.
The “Kung Fu Panda” series is no longer unfamiliar to Chinese audiences, but DreamWorks Animation has really kept its composure. It spent eight years brewing “Kung Fu Panda 4” and invited actors such as Huang Bo, Yang Mi, and Jiang Xin to star in the Chinese version. The dubbing makes the film full of expectations. The film is scheduled to be released in mainland China on March 22. After a long period of silence in Hollywood blockbusters, this Chinese-themed cartoon that focuses on emotions has made people look forward to it.
“Godzilla vs. Kong 2: Rise of an Empire”, released on March 29, is a “hard-core” action movie. The film tells the story of Godzilla and King Kong joining forces to fight against the powerful new villain “Scar King” s story. “Godzilla vs. Kong”, which was released in the mainland in 2021, achieved a high box office of 1.232 billion yuan, proving that there is a market for this type of film in the mainland.
March is considered a slow season in previous years. However, with the release of the criminal action film “The Three Evils” starring Ethan Ruan, the market has set off a small climax. The film has a box office of 157 million yuan in four days of release. Pretty good. I believe that as the above-mentioned films are released one after another, the market will eventually perform surprisingly well.
