Actor Jackie Chan poses during the Jackie Chan Hand and Foot Print Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 6, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown)
Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, 62, claimed that "Warcraft: The Beginning's" earnings amid its first week in China will bring an influx of Chinese-language blockbusters. The "Kung Fu Panda" star thinks that the result will scare Americans.
Chan kicked off the "Jackie Chan Action Movie Week" festival program, which screens a section of the action star's blockbuster films with a speech extolling the Chinese film industry. He pointed out that although the Chinese market was dismissed for decades, it now turns into a force to be reckoned with.
"'Warcraft' made 600m yuan in two days. This has scared the Americans," Hollywood Reporter quoted Chan as saying during the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival before a predominantly Chinese crowd. "If we can make a film that earns 10 billion, then people from all over the world who study film will learn Chinese, instead of us learning English."
Chan then cited Duncan Jones' "Warcraft: The Beginning" box office success in China as an indication of the Chinese market's predominance. The live-adaptation of Blizzard Entertainment's "Warcraft" MMORPG racked up a whopping $156 million over its initial five days in China, which sets a new record for the greatest debut for a foreign film release in the said country's history, according to The Variety.
The film, which cost $160 million to produce and was backed by Universal Pictures, has only grossed $24.2 million in North America, as of June 12, Sunday. Speculations are rife that the film's annual gross in China's film industry will most presumably surpass North America.
"It is you, not us, who makes China powerful," Chan added. "So, thank you all. We hope the Chinese film industry gets even more powerful."
Chan was catapulted to popularity for his first major breakthrough as Chien-Fu in 1978's "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow." Since then, the actor has appeared in more than 150 local and international films and has received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars. In 2015, his net worth was estimated at $350 million.
Check out the new international trailer for Chan's upcoming movie "Skiptrace":
