Chinese Arthouse Hit ‘Return To Dust’ Pulled From Screens And Streaming Platforms In China
03.10.2022 - 14:35
/ deadline.com
Li Ruijun’s arthouse hit Return To Dust has been dropped from theatrical release and streaming platforms in China, without any reason being given to the producers or distributors of the film.
The move prompted discussion on Chinese social media as the film was a surprise box office hit, grossing more than $15m (RMB100m), an exceptional result for a specialist film in China, before it disappeared from view.
The film was released on July 8 and played relatively well for an arthouse title, before ironically receiving a $5.3m (RMB36.2m) boost over the September 2-4 weekend when it hit streaming platforms. It disappeared from release on September 26.
China’s film regulators don’t usually give reasons for their decisions to withdraw a title from release. It’s not unusual for a film to be pulled abruptly from screens to make way for newer titles, even if the film is still selling tickets. Last weekend, several new big films were released to coincide with China’s National Day holidays (October 1-7).
But it could also be the case that the film’s subject matter was seen as unsuitable or overly negative for release during the National Day holidays, which celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and in the run-up to the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on October 16, when Chinese president Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term.
Speaking off the record to Deadline, one box office analyst said: “The film appeared to have more potential box office as this weekend’s October holiday results suggest there was room in the market for counter programming. But note that there were so many films opening, it was also probably a convenient time to pull the film.”
Set in rural Gansu
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