[2012.01.27] I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 TOPS AMONG LUNAR NEW YEAR HONG KONG FILMS

courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of mingpao.com

"Shell King" Chan Kwok Keung joins the TVB board this year
courtesy of takungpao.com

As the Lunar New Year just passed, TVB received good news.  First the return to work laisee increased by 75%, then the Lunar New Year program rating was good, and its Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) became the Hong Kong film box office champion.  Next week a celebration will be held.

TVB and Shaw's third Lunar New Year film collaboration I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 as of 4PM yesterday reached 9.364 million at the box office, the best among Hong Kong films.  After last year the box office has been estimated to pass 10 million.  Thus next Monday a celebration will be held.  THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN)'s box office so far is 7.794 million while ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI)'s box office is 4.568 million.


The Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association yesterday announced the 2012 Spring Festival holiday box office (January 22 to 25) as HK$47,012,740 in total, a 5.9% increase from the same period last year;  however, this Spring Festival foreign films dominated as Hollywood 3D film JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND beat out Chinese films and animation of the same period for the top spot.

This Spring Festival slot had 8 film releases, JOURNEY 2 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND performed the best.  Over the 4 day holiday it made HK$14,158,846, as of the 25th its cumulative box office was HK$20,049,092.

The Eric Tsang Chi Wai produced Shaw Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) came in second with HK$7,541,083 over the holiday and accumulated HK$8,804,008.  It left its rival the Raymond Wong Pak Ming produced comedy ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI) in the dust.  ALL's holiday box office was HK$4,536,450 and cumulative box office was HK$5,423,774.  Chi Wai and Wong Pak Ming have engaged in a battle of words every year over their Lunar New Year films.  Chi Wai this year won again, a third year of victory over Wong Pak Ming.

Animation PUSS IN BOOTS made HK$6,583,185 over the holidays, crushing by 470,000 the Nicholas Tse Ting Fung and Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) starred Hong Kong action film THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN)'s holiday box office of HK$6,113,242 for third place; however, THE VIRAL FACTOR's cumulative box office was HK$8,626,689, which exceeded PUSS IN BOOTS' HK$7,630,722.  Thus in the upcoming weekend they still had hope to catch up with momentum.

However, two other animated films KOKURIKOZAKA KARA and THE MUPPETS only had average performance with HK$2,022,120 and $997,994 respectively.  Their cumulative box office numbers were HK$3,651,924 and HK$1,342,627 on the bottom of the chart.

Big time director Zhang Yimou's THE FLOWERS OF WAR perhaps due to its earlier Mainland release has already been seen through different channels.  With the taste difference its Hong Kong release has been
mediocre.  Over the holiday it made HK$2,668,752 and accumulated HK$4,561,952, slightly better than KOKURIKOZAKA KARA and THE MUPPETS.