Superman Returns recorded box office sales of 31.71 million yuan (about US$4 million) over its opening weekend in China ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible III.

 

　　

 

"The figure is satisfactory following our earlier prediction of the movie's gross box office - 60 million yuan (US$7.5 million)," Weng Li, deputy distribution manager of the China Film Group Corporation, one of the movie's two China distributors, told Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday. 　　

 

But he admitted the film may lose out on sales to M:I3, which is due to be released on the Chinese mainland on July 20 and is estimated to reap over 100 million yuan (US$12.5 million). 　　

 

"Cinemas with a single screen will replace Superman with M:I3 and cineplexes will devote most of their screens to M:I3 after Tom Cruise returns to Chinese screens," Weng added. 　　

 

Jia Yingying, spokeswoman with the China Film Stellar Theater Chain (CFSTC), said Weng's estimation is reasonable based on current situation. 　　

 

"Hollywood blockbusters are supposed to dominate this summer for lack of powerful China-made films, and M:I3 has big expectations," she said. 　　

 

The CFSTC will allot 70-80 percent of its screens to M:I3 for a number of days after it begins to play, Jia said. 　　

 

"If M:I3 is strong enough we'll keep it, but if not we'll increase the screenings of Superman," she added. 　

 

Superman Returns has generated more than US$164 million in North America three weeks after its release, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

 

(People's Daily July 19, 2006)