美国人爱不爱《星战8》还难说，中国人肯定不买账

在中国这个全球增长最快的电影市场，华特迪士尼公司的《星球大战：最后的绝地武士》（Star Wars: The Last Jedi）在上映的首个周末斩获了约2870万美元的票房，不敌同系列的前两部影片。

位于加州伯班克的迪士尼公司上周日宣布，计算中国票房，《星球大战：最后的绝地武士》的全球票房已达到12.1亿美元。尽管这样的成绩与2015年上映的同系列影片《星球大战：原力觉醒》（Star Wars：The Force Awakens）20.7亿美元的全球票房仍有一定的差距，但对于《最后的绝地武士》来说也算是一种成功。虽然迪士尼一直在中国努力培养“星战”电影的受众，但中国影迷们在成长过程中并未受到小说《星球大战前传三部曲》的熏陶。因此从这一个角度来看，新影片便存在先天不足。《星球大战：原力觉醒》当年在中国首映斩获了5230万美元票房。

上一部“星战”影片《星球大战外传：侠盗一号》（Star Wars：Rogue One）在首映期间揽获了3000万美元的票房。亚马逊公司旗下电影票房统计网站Box Office Mojo显示，这部影片在中国电影首映票房排行榜上已名列百名开外，《原力觉醒》的首映票房成绩排在第41位。美国环球影业发行的《速度与激情8》（The Fate of the Furious）则凭借1.85亿美元的首映周末票房，稳坐中国首映票房榜首位置。

北京咨询公司Fanink Research的联合创始人詹姆斯·李指出，迪士尼根据漫威漫画改编的电影在中国更受欢迎。世人皆能看懂的打斗场面和更简单的故事情节往往在中国更受欢迎。漫威电影《复仇者联盟2：奥创纪元》（The Avengers: Age of Ultron）便在首映排行榜上夺得了探花的位置。

中国电影行业资讯网站“中国底片”的分析师乔纳森·帕皮什在上周四晚的中国试映之后便发推文表示，《最后的绝地武士》将逊于前几部影片。他在推文中说道，“该影片口碑堪忧，反响不如前几部。”另外，在争夺首映票房霸主期间，该片还遭遇了《前任3：再见前任》（The Ex-File: The Return of the Exes）的冲击，后者是中国人气爆棚喜剧“前任”系列影片的第三部续作，讲述了几位单身汉的浪漫故事。《最后的绝地武士》的首映恰逢《再见前任》上映的第二个周末。

迪士尼股价在本周一美股早盘跌至111.40美元，跌幅不足1%。截至今年1月5日的12个月内，该公司股价累计上涨了3.9%。

与此同时，美国观众开始转移对星战系列影片的关注，而星战热的回归至少要等到今年5月迪士尼《星球大战外传：索罗》（Solo: A Star Wars Story）的上映。目前北美票房最高的影片是索尼哥伦比亚影业出品的《勇敢者游戏：决战丛林》（Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle）。该片由人称“巨石”的好莱坞动作明星道恩·道格拉斯·强森担纲，现已斩获3600万美元的票房。《星球大战：最后的绝地武士》名列北美票房榜第三位，票房2360万美元。

网站BoxOfficePro.com曾预计，《勇敢者游戏：决战丛林》将在北美收获3200万美元的票房。该影片的意外走红让其全球票房在周末来临之前便超过了3.5亿美元，并藉此在星战系列影片的阴影中闯出了自己的一片天地。索尼方面已经在考虑投拍续集。

作为上周末唯一的重量级新面孔，环球影业的系列恐怖片《潜伏4：锁命亡灵》（Insidious: The Last Key）斩获了2930万美元的票房，排在北美票房榜第二位，而BoxOfficePro此前曾预计其票房为1680万美元。（财富中文网）

译者：Pessy

审稿：夏林

Walt Disney Co.’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” brought in an estimated $28.7 million in its opening weekend in China, coming in below its two predecessors in the world’s fastest-growing market.

That brings the global haul for “The Last Jedi” to $1.21 billion, the Burbank, California-based company said Sunday. It makes the film a success even if it doesn’t reach the heights of 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” which rang up $2.07 billion worldwide. Disney has been trying to build an audience for “Star Wars” in China, where moviegoers didn’t grow up with the original trilogy, and by that measure the new film fell short. “The Force Awakens” brought in $52.3 million when it opened there.

The last “Star Wars” movie to open in China, “Rogue One,” generated $30 million in its opening, outside the top 100 movie debuts in the country, according to Box Office Mojo. “The Force Awakens” was the 41st. Universal Pictures’ “The Fate of the Furious” holds the record for the biggest debut weekend in China with $185 million.

Disney has had more success with its Marvel comic-book movies in China, where universally understood action scenes and simpler story lines tend to translate better, according to James Li, co-founder of the Beijing-based consulting firm Fanink Research. “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” had the third-biggest debut on record.

“Word of mouth is dismal and worse than the previous films,” Jonathan Papish, an analyst at China Film Insider, a website that reports on the industry, tweeted after Thursday night previews from China showed “The Last Jedi” lagging predecessors. “The Last Jedi” was challenged for the top spot by “The Ex-File: The Return of the Exes,” the third installment in a hugely popular romantic comedy series about a group of bachelors, in its second weekend in theaters.

Disney shares declined less than 1 percent to $111.40 in early trading in New York. The stock had gained 3.9 percent through the 12 months ended Jan. 5.

In the U.S., meanwhile, audiences are beginning to move on from Star Wars — at least until Disney unleashes “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in May. The top film in North America was “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Sony Pictures’ action-comedy starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, with $36 million. “The Last Jedi” placed third, with $23.6 million.

“Jumanji” had been projected to reap $32 million, according to BoxOfficePro.com. The surprise hit had brought in more than $350 million worldwide before the weekend, holding its own in the shadow of “Star Wars.” Sony is already considering a sequel.

The weekend’s only major new release, Universal Pictures’ horror sequel “Insidious: The Last Key,” placed second with $29.3 million. BoxOfficePro had estimated $16.8 million.