Reality TV movie breaks record for Chinese-language film 1-day box office, state media say

BEIJING, China – A movie based on a reality TV show about the relationships between celebrity fathers and their children has become a Chinese box-office smash, state media reported Monday.

“Dad, Where Are We Going?” raked in 90 million yuan ($15 million) on Friday, the day it was released and the first day of the Chinese New Year, the People’s Daily website reported. The film broke the record for a single day’s earnings for a 2-D Chinese-language movie, it added.

“Dad, Where Are We Going?” was a hit show on China’s television last year as five celebrities who were more used to spending time away from their children attempted to look after them. The movie follows the same format, with the fathers and kids visiting a wildlife park and attempting tasks such as cleaning animals’ teeth and making dumplings.

The People’s Daily website also said box-office sales across China on the first day of the Chinese New Year totalled 248 million yuan ($41 million), beating last year’s Valentine’s Day record of 205 million yuan ($34 million).

EntGroup, a leading entertainment consultancy in China, gave similar figures. It said total box office sales in mainland China on Friday amounted to 251 million yuan, beating the 206 million yuan raised on Valentine’s Day.