The highly anticipated movie “Top Secret Mission,” starring Lu Jingshan and dubbed by mainland Chinese netizens as the female version of “Wolf Warrior,” is scheduled to premiere in mainland China on June 15th. However, the pre-sale performance has been described as dismal, with only 45,000 yuan (RMB) in revenue as of the 7th of June, earning it the title of “the first cannon fodder of the summer box office.”
“Top Secret Mission” is touted as China’s first female special forces combat film. The plot is said to be reminiscent of “Wolf Warrior,” revolving around a Chinese female special forces unit embarking on a dangerous mission to rescue hostages abroad within a tight 12-hour deadline. The mission is intensified by challenging elements such as high-tech armor suits, infiltration by foreign terrorist organizations, viral threats, and missile risks, depicting the female special forces team in a dire crisis on the brink of peril.
With a production budget exceeding 150 million yuan, the film’s pre-sale box office figures fall well below expectations. As of 5 p.m. on June 5th, the total pre-sale box office for the movie was only 20,000 yuan; by 5 p.m. on June 7th, the cumulative pre-sale revenue had reached just 45,000 yuan. Industry experts assess that for a film with an investment as high as 150 million yuan, pre-sale revenue should reach at least a million yuan to guarantee box office success after the official release. Based on this, “Top Secret Mission” has been labeled by the media as a “summer box office cannon fodder.”
In fact, “Top Secret Mission” wrapped up filming four years ago but is only seeing the light of day now. Starring Lu Jingshan, dubbed as the “female version of Wu Jing” from “Wolf Warrior 2,” the film has been criticized by the article commentator from “NetEase” as riding on the coattails of the success of Lu Jingshan’s first war film after “Wolf Warrior 2.”
“Wolf Warrior 2,” featuring Wu Jing and Lu Jingshan, had a budget of 200 million yuan and smashed box office records by surpassing 5.6 billion yuan in just 20 days after its release, entering the top 100 global box office rankings in history. However, the film’s box office performance was not recognized by authoritative American box office rankings. Analysis suggests that the film misrepresented facts, glorified violence, blurred the line between the party and the state, and invoked a sense of distaste among viewers.
“Top Secret Mission” faces a daunting challenge with its poor pre-sale box office performance, as highlighted by a report from “Hong Kong 01.” The return of Hong Kong star Shawn Yue to the big screen after focusing on developing his fashion brand for several years, post-crisis, is met with uncertainties amid the underwhelming reception of the female version of “Wolf Warrior.”
Having starred in the “Infernal Affairs” series and “Initial D,” Shawn Yue’s comeback to the silver screen after years of devotion to his fashion brand marks a pivotal moment in his career.