The director Han Han (R), along with the leading actors Feng Shaofeng(C) and Chen Bolin (L), came to Southwest China's Chengdu, Sichuan province to promote his movie "The Continent". "The Continent" is author and racecar driver Han Han's directorial debut. [Photo: CFP]

 

Battle for the big screen

Johnny To: Han Han will succeed as director

"The Continent" knocked "Tiny Times 3" off its short-lived peak to take top spot at the Chinese box office on its opening weekend.

The nostalgia-laden road trip movie brought in more than 74 million yuan, or around 12 million US dollars, on its first day, putting the film on track for a weekend gross of more than 50 million US dollars.

In the film, three childhood friends go on a road trip to rediscover themselves. Along the way, the trio meets an assortment of characters and go through experiences that will change their lives forever.

"The Continent" is author and racecar driver Han Han's directorial debut. Prospects for the film looked promising even back in May, when the trailer for the film was downloaded over 5 million times.