China’s gritty Korean War epic “The Battle at Lake Changjin” has become the highest-grossing film in the world for 2021.
Co-directed by Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam, the title has grossed $845 million in 29 days making it the year’s top grosser and the country’s second highest-grossing film in history behind the local title “Wolf Warrior 2” at $854 million.
The film dominated the box-office throughout the month of October until Friday when the James Bond film “No Time to Die” opened to $8 million.
A sequel entitled “Water Gate Bridge” is already in the works with actors Wu Jing, Jackson Yee and other main players to return to continue the story of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army during a different maneuver within the same campaign at North Korea’s Lake Changjin.
That maneuver was to blow up the Water Gate Bridge that was the only path of retreat for a U.S. troop division. Chinese forces had to bomb the bridge three times after the U.S. side rebuilt it after each attempt. The final and successful attempt saw soldiers strapping explosives to their bodies on a suicide attack.
Bona Film Group and August First Film Studio will produce with Chen, Hark and Lam returning to co-direct. Lan Xiaolong and Huang Xin will remain as screenwriters.
Most of the footage will be cut from extra material shot at the beginning of this year for the first film but will be re-edited to form the sequel with some additional winter weather shoots taking place in the coming months.
Source: Variety