Monster Hunt 2’s Raman Hui on making biggest box office hit in China over the Chinese New Year weekend
Hong Kong animator says film’s secret is its appeal to viewers of all ages, and denies cranking out a sequel just to cash in on the success of 2015’s Monster Hunt; he confirms he’s eyeing a Monster Hunt 3 but there’s no script yet
When Hong Kong animation director Raman Hui Shing-ngai returned home after a 20-year spell in Hollywood to make 2015’s Monster Hunt , not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine how well the film would perform. The tale of monsters and humans was a phenomenal success, grossing 2.44 billion yuan (US$384 million) in China alone.
“It was a surprise,” Hui admits when we meet in a rooftop restaurant during the Berlin International Film Festival. “I was hoping that it would break even. Nobody thought that the box office would go that high because that doesn’t happen with Chinese films.”
Modesty would appear to be Hui’s default setting. His sequel Monster Hunt 2 , which opened in China (and Hong Kong) on Friday, took an impressive 1.23 billion yuan (US$198.2 million) at the box office in its first three days, according to film market research firm EntGroup.
So what does Hui make of Monster Hunt 2’s strong start? “So far it’s looking good,” he says with a smile. “It feels like it will get to be like the first film.”
Having taken half of Monster Hunt’s entire Chinese gross in just three days, the sequel should easily eclipse its total takings – although it will have a long way to go before overhauling the record 5.68 billion yuan that Wolf Warrior 2 took at the Chinese box office. But while that was an action film aimed at the adult market, Monster Hunt 2 crosses all demographics.