'Odyssey' dominates Chinese box office

BEIJING -- Fantasy action comedy "Odyssey" took 560 million yuan ($89.7 million) in the week ending February 17, dominating the Chinese box office, according to data released on Monday.

The takings of the film, directed by famed Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow, accounted for 66.7 percent of all ticket sales in the week, showed China Film News' postings on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

"Odyssey," which premiered on February 10, set new box-office records for a single day for a Chinese movie for three consecutive days, said its producer Huayi Brothers Media Group. The film is basically a retelling of classic Chinese tale Journey to the West.

The "101st Marriage Proposal," a low-budget domestic romcom which debuted in Chinese theaters on Tuesday, followed "Odyssey" with 117 million yuan.

"Jack Reacher," an action thriller starring US actor Tom Cruise, came in third with 30 million yuan. It hit Chinese screens on Saturday.

In addition, ticket sales during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, which started on February 9, reached 760 million yuan, an increase of 80 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to China Film News.

The box office for Valentine's Day (February 14) alone hit 200 million yuan, up 60 percent from the reading of the same day last year.

Related Readings

China's box office breaks 17b yuan in 2012

Blockbuster film nears mainland box office record

China's box office sets new record in 2012

China's comedy box-office hit stirs debate