"Warcraft" movie box office predictions claim that the film will be received with more enthusiasm in China. Does this mean that U.S. sales no longer hold much significance with the figures?
In Bloomberg's "Warcraft" movie box office prediction, it was revealed that the film will most likely be a bigger hit than "Star Wars" in China. Billionaire Wang Jianlin and his Legendary Entertainment group will definitely help the movie's cause as well as gaming giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.
"Warcraft" is expected to bring in as much as 2 billion yuan (about $305 million) in ticket sales when it debuts on Wednesday, Jun. 8. Walt Disney's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was not able to achieve that level of success when it premiered in the country last January.
Nomura Holdings Inc.'s "Warcraft" movie box office prediction places the film second to the local romantic comedy "The Mermaid." The film's popularity is to be expected since the "World of Warcraft" game has about 10 million players in China.
"Given their familiarity with the game, the plot is going to resonate when Chinese people watch the movie," Nomura Holdings analyst Richard Huang said. "Most Chinese weren't that familiar with the 'Star Wars' franchise."
Moreover, the "Warcraft" movie has already gained 141 million yuan in advance ticket sales. The film will premiere in the U.S. on Friday, Jun. 10.
According to THR's "Warcraft" movie box office prediction, the film will only open to an estimated $22 million to $24 million in the U.S. this weekend. This is considerably low when compared to its $160 million production budget.
The publication noted that its international box office release, especially in China, would help rack up its sales. The film is being released in a 3D run in the country where Legendary and parent company Dalian Wanda owns the largest cinema.
"Warcraft" movie box office predictions then claimed an opening in the $120 million-$150 million range. The film has also done well in Russia and Germany.
