American animated film "Minions" has set a new record for highest grossing opening day for an animated film in the Chinese box office.
Earning around 123 million yuan ($20 million) over its first weekend, "Minions" surpassed the previous record holder, "Kung Fu Panda 2," for the all-time top-grossing animated film on its opening day.
The film tells the story of Kevin, Stuart and Bob looking for a despicable villain to lead all the minions. It features the voices of Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm.
Kyle Balda, the director of "Minions," said that there were difficulties in making a spin-off to the "Despicable Me" franchise.
"I think the main challenge was trying to tell a story with minions, pull out these three minions, and give them differentiated personalities, and trying to follow them to the entire story, I think that was the principle [sic] challenges," Balda said.
The "Despicable Me" franchise is notably successful in China despite shaky beginnings. The first film was not allowed for release in Chinese cinemas, and the second film was only released seven months after its premiere in the United States.
The Chinese box-office gross of "Minions" during its debut was 48 percent higher than that of "Despicable Me 2." The worldwide box-office earnings have surpassed $1 billion.
Sandra Bullock, who voices the character of Scarlet Overkill, said that the beautiful thing about the "Minions" is it works in any language, and because of the physical comedy in the sweetness and their motion behind what they are saying, even you can't understand it, you know exactly what is happening.
"You just love them, even when they're trying to be, you know, mischievous, somewhat evil. They can't, because they are the little yellow pills that are just sweet," she said.
In late August, the film was promoted to Chinese audiences by having a photo shoot wherein the three main minions were atop the Great Wall.