Estimates placed “Warcraft’s” first day box-office record in China at $45.7 million. It almost broke the $63 million opening day record of “Furious 7.”
As the second-biggest movie-going market in the world, even Hollywood is monitoring the box-office receipts of U.S. movies shown in China. The movie, a video game adaptation produced by Legendary and Blizzard Entertainment, was produced at the cost of $160 million.
Distributed by Universal/Comcast in most of the world, the film earned $7.6 million in midnight previews in China, also almost breaking the record of “Furious 7” sent in China in 2015 of $8.4 million.
While failing to break the record of “Furious 7,” the movie broke the debut of several American films ranging from $30 million to $33 million. These include “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Star Wars: The Force Awake ns,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” and “Captain America: Civil War,” reported Forbes.
The movie could possibly be a game-changer if “Warcraft” hits it big in China and become one of Hollywood’s blockbusters in the marketplace.
Miami Herald commented that the film is a spectacular wipeout because it “throws so many realms and characters at you in its first 15 minutes,” citing Azeroth, Draenor, Ful’dan and Durotan, that “even George R.R. Martin would beg for mercy.”
Because “the story doesn’t end so much as stop,” the daily sees it left enough plot threads dangling for at least two more sequels.