Local titles in Asia soared to record-breaking success in 2022 as cinemas bounced back from two years of Covid restrictions, according to the latest Made In Asia report.
The annual report on the Asian film industry is published as part of the Made in Asia industry programme organised by Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan).
Scroll down for the biggest local hits in the 13 Asian markets profiled in the report.
Screen spoke to the distributors from Hong Kong and Thailand about the runaway success of two local hits from 2022.
Warriors Of Future (HK)
Dir. Ng Yuen Fai
Local distributor: One Cool Pictures, Intercontinental Film
Local box office: $10.4m (HK$81.8m)
Last year, action sci-fi Warriors Of Future became the highest grossing Chinese-language film of all time in Hong Kong, a record that has not been broken since 2016.
With a budget of nearly $60m (HK$450m), the VFX-heavy film boasts an A-list cast with Louis Koo and Lau Ching Wan taking the role of warriors who are determined to curb a giant alien plant from destroying the Earth, despite the fact it can clean toxins in the polluted air. First-time feature director Ng Yuen Fai is a veteran visual-effects specialist with many accolades.
“It is a new genre from Hong Kong, challenging perceptions that only Hollywood can produce this kind of sci-fi spectacular. Hong Kong is capable of doing so too,” says Christy Choi, One Cool’s distribution director.
“A summer release, targeting families and children, had long been on the cards. The film carries an environmental theme and positive vibes, making it particularly relevant amid the pandemic.”
Much effort was put into marketing. Some of the highlights were an IMAX release and a 3D promo reel first launched on an outdoor screen, both rare for a Hong Kong film. Collectible figures based on Koo’s and Lau’s character were launched by Hot Toys for cross-promotion and merchandise also included Lego sets as well as helmets and tourbillon mechanical watches as seen in the film.
To bring audiences back to cinemas, the film’s cast and crew attended more than 100 Q&As at screenings. Lead actor Koo, who is also the principal producer and One Cool’s founder, personally attended more than 60 of these to meet audiences and listen to their feedback.
The film received its world premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival as one of two opening films and went on to receive 11 nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards, winning best visual awards, sound design and action choreography.
The film earned an additional $98.7m (RMB679.4m) at the box office in mainland China and is now available worldwide on Netflix.
Love Destiny The Movie (Thai)
Dir. Adisorn Tresirikasem
Local distributor: GDH 559
Local box office: $4.82m (THB167m)^
This time-travel romantic comedy - a spin-off of a 2018 hit Thai TV series - was the most successful Thai film since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.
Actors Ranee “Bella” Campen and Thanavat “Pope” Vatthanaputi, who have achieved superstar status from the TV series, reprise their roles in the film as their characters reincarnate and meet again hundreds of years after the events of the TV series.
“The film is a continuation from the already successful TV series,” says GDH’s director of sales and international business Songpol Wongkondee. “It has a similar but equally engrossing story and likable characters, with a modern spin on the original period piece by incorporating elements of contemporary romantic comedy and CG spectacle.
“It’s a film that fans and audiences were most excited for. That they can experience it on the big screen makes it even more thrilling for them. It quickly became the film for the whole family and the rare film where audiences of all ages can engage in discussions without an age barrier.”
Promotion started early. Six months before the local release, GDH, which co-invested the film with Broadcast Thai Television, launched a one-of-its-kind marketing campaign called Destiny Token, which offered a unique opportunity for fans to purchase digital tokens as investment of the film.
Supported by a huge fan base from the original TV series in Southeast Asia, the film became Vietnam’s eighth biggest film of 2022 and the biggest Thai film of all time. It also scored the biggest opening weekend of all time for a Thai film in Cambodia in 2022.
^ Based on box office data (for Bangkok and Chiangmai only) released by Thailand’s two main exhibitors Major Cineplex and SF Cinema, the local box office of Love Destiny The Movie reached $4.82m (THB167m), whereas the box office of $11.2m (THB392m) published by GDH was nationwide. Either set of box office figures still made it the biggest Thai film in 2022. In Thailand, only the box office in Bangkok and Chiangmai is tracked by the exhibitors, and a flat-fee basis is adopted between producers and local distributors in the rest of the country.
Top grossing local films in Asia in 2022
* Top grossing film overall in local market
China: The Battle At Lake Changjin II: $589.96m (RMB4.06bn)*
Dir. Tsui Hark
Distributor: Bona Film Group
Japan: One Piece Film: Red: $150.24m (JPY19.7bn)*
Dir. Goro Taniguchi
Distributor: Toei
India: K.G.F: Chapter 2: $149.65m (INR12.35bn)
Dir. Prashanth Neel
Distributor: Homebale Films, Excel Entertainment, Varahi Chalana Chitram, Dream Warrior Pictures, Prithviraj Productions
South Korea: The Roundup: $99.57m (KW131.29m)*
Dir. Lee Sang-yong
Distributor: ABO Entertainment, Plus M Entertainment
Malaysia: Mat Kilau: $20m (RM89.42m)*
Dir. Syamsul Yusof
Distributor: Skop Productions
Hong Kong: Warriors Of Future: $10.4m (HK$81.8m)
Dir. Ng Yuen Fai
Distributor: One Cool Pictures, Intercontinental Film
The Philippines: Maid in Malacañang: $8m (PHP$440m)
Dir. Darryl Yap
Distributor: Viva Films
Taiwan: Incantation: $5.49m (NT$171.75m)
Dir. Kevin Ko
Distributor: Activator
Thailand: Love Destiny: The Movie: $4.82m (TBH167m)
Dir. Adisorn Tresirikasem
Distributor: GDH 559
Singapore: Ah Girls Go Army: $2.1m (S$2.79m)
Dir. Jack Neo
Distributor: mm2 Entertainment
Kazakhstan: Kelinzhan: $1.35m (KZT634m)
Dir. Yerlan Nurgaliyev
Distributor: N/A
Mongolia: Zura 2: Tsuram Project: $806,000 (MNT$2.82m)
Dir. Tamir Bat-Ulzii
Distributor: Fantastic
Kyrgyzstan: Ayash 2 (box office N/A)
Dir. Bakyt Osmonkanov
Distributor: N/A
Source: Made In Asia, published by Bifan
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