“The Wonderful Wedding,” Taiwan’s highest-grossing film during the Spring Festival holiday, landed in China’s mainland cinemas on March 5, Friday.
The blockbuster earned 200 million new Taiwan dollars ($6.35 million). It follows the story of a family conflict between a Taiwanese father-in-law and a mainland bridegroom.
Although the film was a hit to the Taiwanese audience, the film producers still court the mainland box office.
The family-themed comedy film premiered on the eve of the Lantern Festival, which is regarded by many as a perfect avenue for family reunion.
"The Wonderful Wedding" was produced by the Chinese film company Huayi Brothers.
The movie stars Taiwan actress Ruby Lin ("My Fair Princess") in her lead role as a Taiwan bride in a cross-Straits marriage. Li Dongxue, a mainland actor, played the role of the bridegroom.
In the story, Lin's father, played by veteran actor Kou Shixun, feels anxiety when it comes to being separated from her daughter. In turn, he became very picky in choosing the right man for Lin.
The situation stirs up a series of misunderstandings between the members of the family because of cultural differences.
According to Li, the movie introduced him to the in's and out's of a typical Taiwan wedding ceremony.
"For example, the bride needs to throw away a fan (symbolizing bad luck) when the bridegroom picks her up," he eagerly shared. "It's very interesting. I never heard that kind of custom in the mainland," he added.
Li is a 33 year-old born in Zhengzou city, the capital of the Henan province.
In a press conference prior to the premiere, director Huang Chaoliang hoped that the film could bring happiness and laughter to the Chinese mainland audience as it did in Taiwan.