[2024.08.08] TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN STRUGGLE FOR BOX OFFICE BREAKTHROUGH AMID STREAMING RELEASE

TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN has been released on streaming platforms. Viewers no longer need to go to the cinemas to watch it, which makes any box office breakthrough difficult
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The Nicholas Tse and Jacky Cheung starred CUSTOMS FRONTLINE has accumulated HK$ 13 million as of two days ago
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Tung Ngai Hong (left), one of the leads in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HKDSE, has never participated in any public promotion of the film -- leading to heated online speculations
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DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE, DORAEMON THE MOVIE: NOBITA'S EARTH SYMPHONY and INSIDE OUT 2 occupy the top three spots on the single day box office
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This year's summer season coincided with the Paris Olympics, which was held every four years. Hong Kong films were worried about the impact on the box office, had to make way and kept from released. The top 10 single-day box office spots the day before yesterday (6th) were occupied by foreign films and animated films without any Hong Kong film. The hit film TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (GAUN LUNG SING JAI JI WAI SING) has been released for more than 3 months. As of yesterday, its cumulative box office was nearly HK$ 112.5 million and still had a gap of HK$ 2.5 million from the Chinese language film box office champion A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG) and its 115 million. Currently the film only had around 10 shows daily, whether it would top the list remained unknown. In addition, the Hui Yin and Tung Ngai Hong starred ONCE UPON A TIME IN HKDSE (GUNG HOI SI DONG JUN) exceeded 5 million at the box office. On Saturday (10th), the entire team would mobilize for audience appreciation events to drum up the box office. Ah Hong was not on the list. He has not been since the premiere at any publicity event, which has aroused heated discussions online. Some people claimed that he has disappeared, while others claimed that he has been "frozen" (suspended) and his whereabouts became a mystery.

Every year, summer is the prime time for movies. Chinese and foreign movies, big and small, are rushing to release them. This year the season coincided with the Paris Olympics, which is held every four years. As in the past, all movies were worried about the impact on the box office, "gave way" and were kept from release. Hong Kong films thus were in a weakened position. On the single-day box office two days ago, the top 10 were all foreign films and animated films. The top 5 were DEADPOOL AND WOLVERIE, THE DORAEMON MOVIE: NOBITA'S EARTH SYMPHONY, INSIDE OUT 2, HIJACK 1971, and TWISTERS, none of which were Hong Kong films.

The Louis Koo Tin Lok, Raymond Lam Fung and others starred TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (GAU LUNG SING JAI JI WAI SING) has been a smashing success at the box office, with the cumulative box office exceeding HK$ 100 million in 41 days of release. Goo Jai once expressed his hope that the box office will reach new heights, beat the "Tze Wah God" Dayo Wong Tze Wah starred A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG)'s HK$ 115 million box office record and reach first place in the total box office of Chinese-language films in Hong Kong film history. Unfortunately, the box office has stagnated. After more than 3 months in release, as of the day before yesterday, its cumulative box office was HK$ 112.5 million -- still less than A GUILTY CONSCIENCE's 2.5 million. Some people in the industry believed that for TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN to break A GUILTY CONSCIENCE's record would be somewhat difficult because TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN has already been launched on the streaming platform; the audience would not need to go to the theater to watch it.

However, at the cumulative box office, TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN still ranked first as of the day before yesterday, followed by INSIDE OUT 2 with HK$ 82 million, and DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE with nearly HK$ 40 million in third. DESPICABLE ME 4 with 36 million and CRISIS NEGOTIATOR (TAM POON JUEN GA) with about 22 million tightly followed; the Jacky Cheung Hok Yau and Nicholas Tse Ting Fung starred CUSTOMS FRONTLINE (HOI GUAN JIN SIN) came in seventh with 13 million.

In the face of the Paris Olympics, the box office performance of foreign films this year has also been average. So far, not many Hong Kong films have announced their releases after the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics this Sunday (11th). They would include the Louis Cheung Kai Chung, Carlos Chan Ka Lok and Bosco Wong Chung Chak starred THE UNWAVERING BROTHERHOOD (JAT JIK 3) on August 29, the Sandra Ng Kwan Yu and MC Cheung Tin Fu starred LOVE LIES (NGOR TAM DIK NA CHEUNG LUEN OI) on the 12th of next month, and on the 19th of next month the Loletta Lee Lai Chung, Gladys Li Ching Kwan, Peter Chan Cham Man and Sumling Lee starred ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (MONG YUET).

In addition the Trial and Error produced documentary ONCE UPON A TIME IN HKDSE, in which Trial and Error members Hui Yin accompanied DSE student candidate Tung Ngai Hong to take the 2023 DSE exame, exceeded HK$ 5 million at the box office after 34 days in release at the box office. The film company announced on its official page that on Saturday (10th) Trial and Error's 3 bosses Hui Yin, Yau Hawk Sau and So Chi Ho, as well as several members of the creative team WOULD continue to go to the movies for audience appreciation events. Lead actor Tung Ngai Hong was not on the list.

Some discussed online why Ah Hong has not attended any promotional or audience appreciation activities since the premiere, and asked where did Ah Hong go and what happened? Regarding the rumors that Ah Hong was missing or suspended, actor and producer Hui Yin revealed at an event earlier that Ah Hong's absense from promotion and audience appreciation events was due to personal reasons. He had some personal issues that he needed to be deal with first, then he would come out. He believed that Ah Hong will provide an explanation at the appropriate time.