"Successor," a heartwarming comedy-drama that has captivated Chinese audiences, is poised to embark on an international journey from the beginning of next month. CMC Pictures, the esteemed Chinese studio behind the blockbuster "The Meg" franchise, has secured the rights to distribute this moving tale. It will gracefully grace the big screens in North America, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Benelux, commencing its global rollout on August 2nd.
"Successor" tells the compelling story of a struggling father and his diligent mother, residing in a humble abode and seemingly lagging behind in the race to prosperity. Despite its official release in Chinese cinemas only on Tuesday, July 16th, the film garnered an impressive estimated $21 million on its opening day. However, its cumulative haul skyrocketed to $89 million due to extensive previews, catapulting it to the top of China's weekend charts. On both Saturday and Sunday, the film enjoyed over 140,000 screenings across the nation.
While its Saturday preview release kept "Successor" from appearing on global or weekend box office charts compiled by Comscore, the company confirmed that the film raked in approximately $21.5 million on Saturday previews alone, followed by a further $27.7 million on Sunday. These impressive figures would have positioned "Successor" as the third-highest-grossing film globally that weekend, trailing only behind "Despicable Me 4" and "Inside Out 2," despite its limited two-day run.
This poignant tale is a collaborative effort between directors Yan Fei and Peng Damo, who have previously teamed up for films like "Hello, Mr. Billionaire" and "Goodbye, Mr. Loser." The star-studded cast includes Shen Teng, Ma Li, Shi Pengyuan, Sa Rina, and Xiao Bochen, while the production is helmed by Zhang Lebin, Ma Chi, Tian Tian, and Zhang Meng.
