According to Chinese outlet QQ, the film Happy autumn, momstarring Shu Qi and Bai Ke, was officially released in theaters on October 17. However, surprisingly, just three hours after its premiere, the production team announced an emergency withdrawal from theaters, making it the shortest theatrical run in the history of Chinese cinema.
Data from ticketing platform Maoyan revealed that before its release, the film had only sold about RMB 158,000 (about $22,000) in pre-sales. On opening day, the screening rate was only 1.2%, unable to compete with larger productions. Since box office revenue couldn’t even cover basic movie slot rates, distributors had no choice but to suspend screenings indefinitely.
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Adding to the irony, the cast had just held a promotional fan meeting with Shu Qi, Bai Ke, and director Jia Zhangke. The poor performance of Happy autumn, mom is now expected to have a negative impact on Shu Qi’s upcoming directorial debut, Lassout November 1st.
Lass marks Shu Qi’s first film as a director, for which he recently won the Best Director award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea. Despite critical recognition, the film’s arthouse nature poses a challenge to box office success, as such works often struggle to attract mass audiences.
In contrast, Shu Qi is thriving on the small screen. His role in Netflix The risen one was widely praised. In the series, Shu Qi plays a mother whose son is kidnapped and trafficked to Thailand to join a fraud ring. Along with co-star Lee Sinje, he uses dark rituals to resurrect his captor and take revenge, leading to a series of shocking and supernatural twists.
While Happy autumn, momShu Qi’s failure marks a career low point, her success on Netflix proves that the actress remains one of Asia’s most versatile and enduring stars.
