Wonder Woman 1984 loses power in China and overseas box office, Latest Movies News - The New Paper
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Wonder Woman 1984 loses power in China and overseas box office

LOS ANGELES: Diana Prince may be able to best Cheetah, but she is no match for a global pandemic.

Starring Gal Gadot and Kristen Wiig as the titular superhero and new supervillain respectively, Wonder Woman 1984 opened to a less than heroic US$18.8 million (S$25 million) in China over the weekend and a disappointing US$38.5 million overseas.

That is far less than the US$38 million the first Wonder Woman film in 2017 grossed in its opening weekend in China and likely means the follow-up will earn far less than the US$90.5 million its predecessor pulled in from the country over the course of its run.

China is one of the few theatrical markets where moviegoing had shown signs of life during a public health catastrophe, but revenues around the country were still down 30 per cent.

The US$200 million Wonder Woman 1984, currently showing in cinemas here, was not the only blockbuster hopeful that sputtered.

Chinese action flick The Rescue made just under US$36 million in its initial weekend - far below projections and could mean the film will lose money.

Directed by Dante Lam and starring Eddie Peng, it had a production budget of US$90 million and opens here on Dec 31.

Wonder Woman 1984 was intended to be one of the holiday season's biggest releases, but with coronavirus cases rising, Warner Bros has opted to also debut the film in the US on HBO Max when it opens in cinemas there on Friday. - REUTERS

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