China offers hope for an ungodly Hollywood flop

Gods of Egypt will be screened on the Chinese mainland from Friday.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Gods of Egypt, one of the latest box-office flops in North America, appears to be seeking a rebound in China, according to some industry watchers.

The $140 million fantasy epic, revolving around a brutal family feud among Egyptian deities, will open in Chinese mainland theaters on Friday, around two weeks after its release in Australia and the United States.

The heavy-on-special-effects movie will be released here in three forms: Imax3-D, Dmax and 4-D.

After its disappointing $14 million debut weekend in North America, most foreign reports called the big-budget production as "this year's first major box-office flop".

Despite its poor reception in English-speaking markets, some Chinese industry watchers predict it will get a better welcome in China, the world's second-largest movie market.

Zhang Zhiyuan, a Beijing-based box-office analyst, says Hollywood's big-budget action films have a stable and huge fan base in China.

"Although its scores on foreign review sites are mediocre, or even somewhat low, a big number of moviegoers may still buy the breathtaking spectacles and action－which are at a high level the domestic industry has yet to reach," he says.

Besides, an annual quota that allows only 34 foreign movies for general release in China－based on a box office-sharing system－limits selection for locals, say Chinese film sources.