WU XIA fights its way to Top Screen Average!

31 July 2011

WU XIA is the top screen average earner (US$17,521) for the weekend of Jul 21-24.

Playing only on 25 screens, the latest martial arts flick from Hong Kong debut with US$438,014. In comparison, the last Donnie Yen film, THE LOST SWORDSMAN opened to US$639,176 from 29 screens and a screen average of US$15,433.

WU XIA is currently the 4th highest grossing HK film in Singapore this year, and will attempt to outdo SWORDSMAN, which made US$1,082,246.

The much publicized SEX AND ZEN: EXTREME ECSTASY, which is available in both 2D and 3D versions, arrives on 11 screens and grosses US$158,354. The result is encouraging, with reports of sold out shows despite poor reviews, a truncated international version and a release more than 3 months after the film opened in HK, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.

Raunchy chick flick BRIDESMAIDS starts off with an encouraging US$154,307 from 13 screens, while HANNA, the thriller about a young female assassin starts off with US$111,127 from 12 screens.

Three independent releases also fight for the box office dollars, with Michael Winterbottom's A SUMMER IN GENOVA (US$9,613, 2 screens) and the Keanu Reeves headlined HENRY'S CRIME (US$4,859, 1 screen) debuting to average numbers. The only real casualty seems to be the mis-titled WIN WIN. The comic drama starring Paul Giamatti limps out of the door with a weak US$2,997 from 1 screen.

Meanwhile, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 continues to reign at no.1 - grossing more than US$1m during its second weekend. Only 2 other films achieved this feat this year - TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON and KUNG FU PANDA 2.

THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 also edges out PART 1 to be the top Harry Potter film in Singapore - it's currently the 3rd highest grossing film this year and the 10th highest grossing movie in Singapore of all time.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is inches away from dethroning AVATAR as Singapore's top film of all time. With S$10,533,931 earned to date, it is less than S$900k from achieving its goal. However, this may be a difficult feat if the film continues at its current rate of depreciation.

Meanwhile, last week's release A BEAUTIFUL LIFE ends its run with US$10,504 - very close to the last Shu Qi romance drama IF YOU ARE THE ONE 2 (US$10,451).

For the full box office list, click here.

(To check out the trailers of the new films, click on the film's title).