This article originally appeared on ABACUS Two weeks before it hits cinemas in the US, Aquaman is already a box office smash hit. How? China. Aquaman, released first in China, just recorded Warner Bros’ biggest ever opening in the country, with a massive US$93.6 million take in three days. In other words, Chinese people think it’s better than all the other DC Extended Universe movies -- like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League and Wonder Woman. It drew even more viewers than Ready Player One, which did especially well in the country . Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster became Warner Bros’ biggest opening this April. But Aquaman beat it by a whopping 66 percent. Why do people in China love it so much? Well, aside from the country’s apparent love of swole Western leading men (as seen by the success of the Fast and the Furious franchise, Skyscraper and now Aquaman), people said that DC really did something right with Aquaman by hiring James Wan as the director and Amber Heard as the female lead. With the success of Furious 7 and his early horror titles, Wan -- who is of Malaysian Chinese descent -- already has quite a big following in the country. But this time around, Chinese fans say that he has saved the DC Extended Universe. Aquaman has already topped the lifetime gross of Wonder Woman, Batman v Superman in local currency by just 3 days. It will beat Justice League on MON, creating new record for DC films. In Wan we believe. #Aquaman pic.twitter.com/tnVXRUNvmH — Gavin Feng (@gavinfeng97) December 9, 2018 On Weibo, a Chinese TV actor wrote , “Aquaman is really good! Flashy special effects and exhilarating plotline… Wan, as a Chinese Malaysian raised in Australia, is a role model for Chinese moviemakers.” How Weibo became China’s most popular blogging platform Viewers are also enamored by Amber Heard’s female lead. The hashtag #AquamanFemaleLeadBody was at one point the 20th hottest topic on Weibo. A Weibo user wrote , “Heard’s body is so gorgeous. She’s been beautiful her entire life... Can’t make out why Depp would want to split with her.” But on Twitter , fans are expressing their joy that Heard’s Mera in Aquaman bested Johnny Depp’s title character in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Fantastic Beasts 2: 57M na China (23 dias) #Aquaman : 62M na China (2 dias) Amber Heard OUTSOLD & OUTDID Johnny Depp pic.twitter.com/ChGUWivGa9 — EduardoXCX (@BORDISUEI) December 8, 2018 After some struggles, Aquaman’s success could show that the DC Extended Universe might be turning a corner. But maybe don’t judge a film’s quality by its box office success. After all, The Rock’s Skyscraper was one of the most popular movies in China this year. Is global box office smash The Meg pandering to China? For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters , subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast , and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report . Also roam China Tech City , an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus .
