"Zhan Lang 2" tells the adventures of a former member of the Chinese special forces who finds himself in a war zone in Africa.
A Chinese hero who flies to the aid of Africans who are victims of terrible Westerners: this pitch allows a patriotic Chinese film to break all records at the local box office, at a time when the communist regime is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its army.
430 million euros in revenue. "Whoever offends China will be prosecuted as far as necessary", promises the slogan of Zhan Lang 2 (Wolf Warrior 2), seen by millions of spectators. Less than two weeks after its release, the film has already collected more than 3.4 billion yuan (430 million euros), beating the national revenue record, according to the specialized site Maoyan. The previous record was held by The Mermaid, a Chinese-Hong Kong ecological comedy which generated 3.39 billion in revenue last year over the same period (430 million euros).
"A huge source of inspiration for the public". Packed with special effects, stunts and Hollywood-style explosions, Zhan Lang 2 tells the story of a former Chinese special forces officer who finds himself in a war zone in Africa, where he rescues compatriots as well as local populations threatened by rebels and Western mercenaries. State media hailed the film's success, with the highly nationalistic Global Times calling it a "phenomenon". "He is a huge source of inspiration for the public, so much so that many spectators say on social networks that they want to serve in the army," says the English-language daily.
The release of the privately funded film coincided with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Red Army, marked by a military parade in honor of President Xi Jinping. Since July 1, Chinese cinemas have been ordered to run brief political announcements before movies praising "socialist values" and the "Chinese dream" dear to President Xi's heart.