Poster of Untitled Remembering 1942 Project [Photo/Mtime]

Huge investment faces more risks

On the contrary, the Chinese highly expected blockbusters, Untitled Remembering 1942 Project, An Inaccurate Memoir and Design of Death, disappointed the film makers with gloomy box office receipts.

“Big names, grand production or fantastic visual effects are not the must-have factors for a successful film. Chinese movie-goers pay more attention to the quality, theme, and story line of a certain film,” movie critic Zhang Xiaobei said.

“Also, under the attack of Hollywood blockbusters, it is not an easy task to win the fierce competition for box office receipts. Given the scale of the Chinese movie market, most producers would be better off focusing on elements that appeal to the home audience,” Zhang added.