TheWrap Screening Series: “Wolf Warrior 2” director and star Wu Jing also talked about working more closely with Hollywood
Ted Soqui
“Wolf Warrior 2” might not mean much to average American audiences, but the biggest Chinese movie of all-time – and No. 5 on this year’s global box office so far – ended up making more than $870 million worldwide, which is more than superhero smash hits “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Wonder Woman.”
And that runaway success came as a surprise to the movie’s writer, director, financier and star, Wu Jing.
“I didn’t expect that my film could be this big and this huge and this successful,” Wu told TheWrap’s Matt Donnelly through a translator at a screening of the film in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Also Read: See China Smash Hit ‘Wolf Warrior 2’ at US-China Film Summit
But the big bucks didn’t come without some major risks, as Wu put himself in legitimate danger starring in the movie’s high-octane action sequences. A scene at the start of the film where he engages in hand-to-hand combat with pirates while submerged in the ocean was particularly perilous.
“I almost died twice during the making of this film,” he said. “One of the moments when I was shooting the underwater [fighting] montage. I almost died in the water. That’s quite an experience for me.”
Wu stars as former Chinese special forces soldier Leng Feng, who is working as a mercenary in an unnamed African country, when he takes on a mission to evacuate Chinese nationals trapped in a factory surrounded by rebels. While “Wolf Warrior 2’s” perspective is unmistakably Chinese, the movie’s action scenes and cinematography were inspired by Hollywood action blockbusters.
Also Read: China Wins by Making Movies For China – Should the U. S. Make More Movies for Americans?
“You see a lot of influences on this film from Hollywood,” Wu said. “Film-making technology and style. Just like the young filmmakers of my generation in China, we learned a lot from Hollywood.”
“I watch American films most,” he added. “I learn from them the most. That’s why you can see a lot of U. S. and Hollywood influences on my film.”
China has been an increasingly important market for Hollywood films, as the country’s hundreds of millions of moviegoers can make the difference in a major tentpole’s success. Franchise hits like “Furious 7” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction” both cleared $300 million in China alone, but China hasn’t really been able to create a crossover hit that’s originated there.
Also Read: Why ‘Wolf Warriors 2’ Had a Record-Setting Roar in China
Wu also enlisted pros from the U. S. and New Zealand to bring global best practices to the film. That paid off big-time, and Wu said he plans to continue working even more closely with Hollywood as he strives to make even bigger movies. And studios have been calling.
“It’s like starting a relationship. It could be bumpy, it could be tears and laughter. I’m getting married to Hollywood and the creative resources around the world. That’s what I have to do.”
Hollywood’s 22 Biggest Box Office Champs in China (Photos)
Chinese moviegoers love to spend their hard-earned yuan on Hollywood blockbusters like “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avatar” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Comedies and dramas? Not so much. Read on to see which American hits have raked in the most money (according to BoxOfficeMojo) in that nation across the Pacific. Disney/Marvel/Lucasfilm/Fox
“Furious 7” (2015)
$390.9 million
The Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson revved-up action flick is easily the highest-grossing Hollywood movie ever in China. The late Paul Walker remains among China’s most beloved American actors. Universal
“Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014)
$320 million
Mark Wahlberg starred in the sci-fi movie based on the foldable toys, which was co-produced by two Chinese firms and was the first Hollywood movie to make more than $300 million in the Middle Kingdom. Paramount
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
$240.1 million
The superhero mashup is China’s highest-grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe film, a franchise that’s been embraced by the country’s young-leaning moviegoers. Marvel
“Zootopia” (2016)
$235.6 million
The buddy-cop comedy is the highest-grossing imported animated film in the history of the Chinese box office, and it played especially well in China’s second- and third-tier cities. Disney
“Jurassic World” (2015)
$228.7 million
Like “Furious 7,” the dinosaur sci-fi adventure was produced by Legendary Entertainment, which was acquired by China’s Dalian Wanda Group in January. Universal
“Warcraft” (2016)
$220.8 million
Another Legendary film, this one inspired by a video game series, flopped in the U. S. but dominated the Chinese market, which is home to about half of the video game’s players worldwide. Universal
“Avatar” (2009)
$204.1 million
The worldwide smash hit also captivated Chinese audiences, even back in 2009, when the country’s box office was a fraction of the size that it is today. Fox
“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
$190.4 million
The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — with an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Don Cheadle — continued the iconic comic book company’s momentum in China. Marvel
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011)
$165.1 million
The prequel to this film, 2009’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” made $65.8 million in China, setting the stage for “Dark of the Moon” to be the country’s highest-grossing Hollywood film since “Avatar” at the time. Paramount
“Kung Fu Panda 3” (2016)
$154.3 million
The Mandarin-language version of the movie starring Jack Black as a friendly fighting bear had the characters reanimated so their mouths moved naturally with the translated words. DreamWorks
“The Jungle Book” (2016)
$150.1 million
The live-action/animation hybrid was a hit in several international markets, especially India, and it also played well throughout China. Disney
“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” (2015)
$135.7 million
China’s Alibaba Pictures invested in “Rogue Nation,” and star Tom Cruise visited several Chinese cities to promote the film, helping it open strong and stick around in theaters even though its China debut came more than a month after its U. S. premiere. Paramount
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2016)
$124.2 million
Despite China being one of the few markets that didn’t catch “Star Wars” fever — the movie put some people there to sleep — Disney’s promotional efforts helped it clear $100 million. Lucasfilm
“Interstellar” (2014)
$122 million
The epic space adventure starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain connected with Chinese audiences, even though it wasn’t in the 3D format that crowds there have grown used to.
Paramount
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (2014)
$121.
