Chinese video streaming platform iQIYI recently announced that they will be adapting the classic movie “God of Cookery” by “Hong Kong Comedy King” Stephen Chow (Chow Sing-Chi), also known as “Siu Yeh,” into an animated version, which surprised many fans. However, the film, which is 28 years apart, premiered in mainland China on August 31st with a first-day box office of approximately 2.2 million yuan (RMB, the same below). Despite pre-sales, the total box office was less than 3 million yuan, leaving many disappointed.
On August 31st, the movie “God of Cookery” by Stephen Chow premiered in Beijing. This movie, made 28 years ago, stars Stephen Chow, Karen Mok, Ng Man-tat, Vincent Kok, Law Kar-ying, and Xie Jia-Yan, and is one of Stephen Chow’s most significant works. This release is a high-definition restored version.
When “God of Cookery” was released in Hong Kong in 1996, it grossed over 40 million yuan at the box office, making it the second-highest-grossing film of that year. After 28 years, it was released in China with a 3-minute cut from the original 95-minute runtime. While some of Stephen Chow’s fans expressed their eagerness to see it again, most people had already watched the film through various means. Despite receiving the highest 4.7% screen rate on its first day, the film’s box office was less than 300 yuan, with Chinese media estimating the final box office to be around 14 million yuan.
The mainland China summer box office of 2024 can only be described as “bleak.” Despite having A-list stars like Zhu Yilong, Zhang Ruoyun, and Wang Junkai as well as renowned directors like Gu Changwei, Urn Shaw, Xu Zheng, and Derek Tsang, and big-budget productions like “Outsiders” and “Decryption,” the overall box office performance fell far short of expectations.
According to box office data from professional platforms such as “Maoyan” and “Lighthouse” until August 25, 2024, the summer box office has surpassed 11 billion yuan. However, compared to last year’s summer box office which exceeded 20.6 billion yuan, this year’s performance has almost halved, indicating a significant decline in the industry.
Some analysts pointed out that while many hoped for the so-called “Lipstick Effect” in the movie industry during China’s economic downturn, the reality is that with ticket prices ranging from 40 to 60 yuan, along with additional expenses such as transportation and dining, going to the movies has become a luxury expenditure for many ordinary people. Furthermore, the old tags like star power, renowned directors, and industrial mega-productions that guaranteed a film’s success in the past seemed to have lost their charm.
Stephen Chow’s “God of Cookery” grossed over 40 million yuan when it was released in Hong Kong in 1996, becoming the second highest-grossing film of that year. Releasing in China after 28 years, with a 3-minute cut from the original 95-minute runtime, sparked curiosity among some netizens wondering “what was cut in those three minutes.”
As the “King of Hong Kong Comedy,” many of Stephen Chow’s classic nonsensical films from earlier years have become a nostalgic memory for many people’s childhood. While many of his famous films were popular, they largely spread and gained popularity in mainland China through CDs. Despite some mainland netizens saying, “we all owe Stephen Chow a movie ticket,” the lack of attractiveness in the high-definition restoration of the film seems to have failed to boost the box office.
The reason why “God of Cookery” took 28 years to be released in mainland China, was believed by the mainland self-media “Meow Meow Entertainment Group” to be a “rescue.”
Faced with the disappointing first-day box office results of “God of Cookery,” some fans expressed, “Siu Yeh’s unbeatable box office myth has come to an end. China’s industries are struggling, people are cutting back on expenses, entertainment spending has decreased significantly, the economy is truly dire.” While other fans consoled Siu Yeh, saying, “It’s been so long (28 years), having 14 million (box office) is not bad, right?”