[2010.02.16] 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY STRIKES BACK

The 4 day Lunar New Year long holiday was the golden period for Chinese and foreign Lunar New Year film competition. With over 100 film stars and artists as its draw, the comedy 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY (72 GA JO HAT) indeed was fascinating. As of the Lunar New Year's Day (February 14), it led with 7.06 million at the cumulative box office and became the Lunar New Year box office champion. With as little as 1 million it instead edged out the opening day champion ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL TOO 2010 (FA TIN HEI SI 2010) with 5.94 million. Breaking all the Hong Kong box office record, the 3D film AVATAR has already been in release for 2 months and is only on 16 screens. Yet on the Lunar New Year's Day its box office was still 1.09 million, despite the multiple film competition it still shows its might.

The two Lunar New Year comedies 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY and ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL TOO 2010 (FA TIN HEI SI 2010) have a strong rivalry. From promotion, advanced screenings to opening day they have been fighting nonstop. ALL'S director Raymond Wong Pak Ming earlier with the opening box office of 1.71 million won the first battle against 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY's 1.41 million and other film releases as the authentic Lunar New Year opening champion; yet after 3 days, 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY has already caught up. Its latest cumulative box office was 7.06 million and defeated ALL'S 5.94 million. As for the Lunar New Year Day single day box office , 72 was on top with 2.55 million. No matter who wins or loses, their promotion together has been beneficial.

Wong Pak Ming yesterday still did not admit defeat. He said, "Now is still the Lunar New Year, I didn't ask the box office specifically. If 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY is leading then congratulations, but the movies have been released only for a few days. They still have awhile to go, nothing has been determined yet, Gung Hei Fat Choi!"

As for the successful strike back at ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL TOO 2010 72's producer Wong Ka Hei said, "There is no winning and losing, I feel both movies were able to defeat foreign films and truly won a round for Hong Kong film. We are waiting until (Eric) Tsang Chi Wai to return from

the U.S. on the Lunar 6th to celebrate on the Lunar 7th."

Among the five other films that opened on February 11, foreign film PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF came in third with 4.76 million, 3D martial art film TRUE LEGEND (SO HAK YI) was fourth with 3.65 million and beat out the romance VALENTINE'S DAY's 3.57 million by 80,000. 14 BLADES in the Mainland after a week in release came 57 million but in Hong Kong so far it made 2.5 million. The animation THE

PRINCESS AND THE FROG came in last with 1.16 million. However the Lunar New Year holiday has not ended yet and their momentum will determine the ending.