The movie “Welcome to Dragon Restaurant,” starring Shen Teng, has been enjoying continuous success at the box office since its release on August 11. As of now, the film has surpassed 2 billion yuan in box office earnings in mainland China, marking it as the 45th film in Chinese cinema history to break the 2 billion mark.
Directed by Wenyu Mu, known for “Dying to Survive” and “Miracle,” “Welcome to Dragon Restaurant” once again focuses on ordinary people in difficult situations, showcasing a Chinese restaurant as a heartwarming refuge for individuals amidst turmoil, where they can enjoy a hot meal.
In the film, Shen Teng plays the role of Xu Fu, the owner of a Chinese restaurant in a war-torn area in West Asia. He deliberately toned down his usual comedy style and signature physical gestures by more than 70%, adopting a rare minimalist acting approach that led to a successful transformation.
The movie has shown strong performance at the box office. As of September 7, the total box office earnings have exceeded 2.08 billion, propelling it to join the prestigious “2 Billion Club” in Chinese cinema history as the 45th film to achieve this milestone. With the success of “Welcome to Dragon Restaurant,” Shen Teng’s cumulative box office earnings from films he starred in are close to 43 billion, firmly securing his position as the top-grossing actor in China.
Of particular interest is that the film, with an impressive rating of 8.7 on Douban (a popular Chinese film rating platform), has topped the daily box office charts for 20 consecutive days. Additionally, during the latter part of its screening, it experienced several instances of “upward trends” in weekend box office earnings, demonstrating a stable and solid performance. The film’s 8.7 rating on Douban also represents Shen Teng’s highest personal acting accolade.
Audiences have noted that Shen Teng maintained a serious, non-comedic, and unpretentious demeanor throughout the film. Through subtle body language and a composed gaze, he authentically portrayed the fear, vulnerability, helplessness, and inherent kindness of Xu Fu, the head chef, in tumultuous times.
Many viewers admitted that they were initially concerned about bursting into laughter upon seeing Shen Teng, given his comedic background. However, his composed and nuanced performance quickly made them forget about his usual comedic persona. Particularly, in emotionally intense scenes like witnessing the departure of a dear friend or conversations from behind bars, Shen Teng chose subtle facial muscle tremors, vacant stares, and delayed tears to vividly depict the suffocating despair and sorrow experienced by ordinary people in dire situations.
Audiences and film critics have lauded Shen Teng’s transformative acting in “Welcome to Dragon Restaurant” as his career’s highest achievement. Phrases like “Shen Teng made everyone cry” have become popular on social media platforms, with viewers noting that they went in smiling but came out crying, appreciating his departure from the pure comedy label and showcasing a profound dramatic acting prowess.
Despite being the first actor in Chinese film history to surpass 40 billion yuan in box office earnings, Shen Teng has yet to receive recognition in mainstream film awards in China. This phenomenon of “massive box office earnings but no mainstream awards” has been a recurring topic of discussion in recent years.
Shen Teng was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards for “A Journey to the Moon” and “Lost in Russia,” but did not win. In 2022, his nomination for Best Actor at the Hundred Flowers Awards for “My Father and I” resulted in an unexpected “0” from the 101 onsite public judges, sparking heated debates online. Due to his past comedic roles not aligning with the government award style of the Huabiao Awards, Shen Teng has never received a personal nomination.
Industry insiders believe that Shen Teng’s lack of recognition is not due to his acting skills but rather the systematic bias in award systems against comedic actors. Shen Teng’s relaxed and natural comedic timing is often mistakenly perceived as relying on appearance and instincts for humor, as opposed to immersive character portrayal through depth in acting.
In the past decade, not a single award-winning actor among the 30+ recipients from the three major mainstream Chinese film awards has been recognized for their work in pure comedy films. This explains Shen Teng’s departure from his usual comedic style in “Welcome to Dragon Restaurant,” opting for a restrained and profound dramatic performance to challenge the biased perspectives of mainstream awards.
Many film critics and industry experts believe that “Welcome to Dragon Restaurant,” portraying the joys and sorrows of ordinary individuals in turbulent times, presents Shen Teng with an exceptional opportunity to break the prejudices of the three major mainstream Chinese film awards and compete for the coveted Best Actor title.