China blockbuster joins top 100 grossing films worldwide

The flag-waving action movie’s plotline of Chinese soldiers saving war-ravaged Africans from Western baddies has resonated in an increasingly self-assured China, and the film last week became the country’s all-time top earner less than two weeks after its release.

The strength of those domestic receipts has now propelled the film onto industry monitor Box Office Mojo’s all-time 100 list, where on Wednesday it knocked 1994’s “Forrest Gump” from the No. 100 spot.

Box Office Mojo said “Wolf Warriors 2” had grossed $682.1 million worldwide, nearly all of it in Chinese cinemas.

But it looked likely to climb still further up the list — latest figures from the official China Movie Data Information Network said “Wolf” had already raked in 4.75 billion yuan ($710 million) in domestic sales as of Wednesday.

That would put it nearly another 10 places higher on Box Office Mojo’s list, in the company of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1”, and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”.

With special effects, stunts and explosions worthy of Hollywood, “Wolf” boasts the ominous tagline “whoever offends China will be hunted down no matter how far away they are”.

It depicts a Chinese former special forces operative’s fictional foray into an unnamed African war zone to rescue compatriots and downtrodden locals from rebels and blood-thirsty Western mercenaries.

The movie is directed by martial arts expert Wu Jing, who also plays the lead role of Leng Feng, and a cliff-hanger ending sets the stage for a third instalment and another likely windfall.

“Wolf” is riding a wave of patriotic fervour whipped up by the ruling Communist Party. This summer has also seen the release of the film “The Founding of an Army”, which chronicles the origins of the People’s Liberation Army.

Cinemas across China have been ordered since July 1 to show short clips promoting “core socialist values” and President Xi Jinping’s “Chinese dream” political credo before each film.

Wu said in an interview published Tuesday: “I’ve only taken a match and lit up people’s patriotism with a spark.”

“Wolf Warriors 2” will have work to do to climb up to the top ranks of the list, which is headed by “Avatar” (2009) at $2.7 billion, followed by “Titanic” (1997) and “Star Wars: the Force Awakens” (2015).