Investing 500 million Chinese yuan, the martial arts film “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero’s Heart” starring mainland China’s top male lead actor, Xiao Zhan, has only grossed 633 million, far below the expected 1.8 billion. The industry believes that the poor reviews of the film, combined with low screening volumes, are the main reasons for Xiao Zhan’s failure in the big screen market.
Xiao Zhan rose to stardom after starring in the drama series “The Untamed,” and his performances in TV dramas such as “Joy of Life,” “You Are My Glory,” “The Oath of Love,” and “Ace Troops” have received positive reviews. Last year, Xiao Zhan actively transitioned to the film industry with the role in “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero’s Heart.” This film marks Xiao Zhan’s second lead role in a movie after “The Untamed I” in 2018 and was scheduled for release during the Chinese New Year period this year.
Of note, “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero’s Heart” is an adaptation from chapters 34 to 40 of Jin Yong’s novel “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” depicting a turbulent era where Guo Jing, since childhood, leaves his hometown, receives recognition from a master, masters the unparalleled martial arts “Nine Yin Manual” and “Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.” Despite attracting jealousy from various quarters, he becomes a target, but with Huang Rong by his side, they brave the storm to protect the southern Song dynasty’s border.
Interestingly, the film had a significant lead in presales over big films like “Nezha 2” and “Detective Tang 1900,” reaching a box office of 3.5 billion. However, after the nationwide release on the first day of the lunar new year (January 29th), both the box office and reviews seemed to plummet instantly. According to data from the professional version of “Maoyan” up to the early morning of February 6th, the film had only grossed 6.05 billion in 9 days since its release; a week later, the total box office stood at 6.33 billion. The industry estimates that the film will reach a maximum of 6.5 billion in box office earnings, placing it at the bottom among the 6 films released during the Chinese New Year period.
In fact, to portray the role of “Guo Jing” convincingly, Xiao Zhan gained 10 kilograms, diligently practiced horseback riding and martial arts, and even got injured during filming. Netizens analyzed that the film had significant flaws, failing to capture the audience’s hearts successfully.
Firstly, many audiences were drawn in by the original novel “The Legend of the Condor Heroes” but found that “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero’s Heart” did not focus primarily on martial arts fights but on the “heart of a hero.” Thus, the film not only lacked action scenes but also lacked dramatic tension, leaving fans greatly disappointed.
Additionally, there were issues with dubbing Xiao Zhan’s lines not matching his lip movements. It was noted that Xiao Zhan was speaking in Mongolian on set, having worked hard to learn the language and memorize lines, yet the final film was dubbed in Chinese, resulting in many discrepancies in accents. Audience feedback also highlighted flaws in the script, describing it as AI-generated, leading many to flood the film with one-star negative reviews on “Douban,” resulting in a record-low rating of 5.5.
Despite the film’s poor reception and low screening numbers leading to a box office flop, many netizens still praised Xiao Zhan’s acting skills. Director Tsui Hark commented on Xiao Zhan: “A martial arts film requires an actor who can breathe, and he has transformed Guo Jing’s simplicity from being taciturn to full of the vital force of flowing water.”
Facing controversy over the box office, Xiao Zhan remains optimistic: “I don’t feel much pressure, perhaps it’s the production team that feels the pressure, I have put my all into playing Guo Jing, and the verdict lies with the audience and the market.” Insiders evaluated, “Without Xiao Zhan’s involvement, ‘The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Hero’s Heart’ might’ve seen a nearly 300 million reduction in box office earnings.”