(THR) The Chinese film, which features Oscar-winning costume and set designers, is believed to be China's most expensive production ever.
As China inches ever closer to surpassing North America as the world's largest box-office territory, its movie budgets are getting bigger, too.
Hollywood studio tentpoles routinely cost $100 million to $200 million to make, but China's biggest titles seldom top $50 million.
Stephen Chow's fantasy romp The Mermaid, which earned $550 million in February to become China's biggest local box-office hit ever, had a reported production budget of just $60 million — and many in the Chinese industry believe it was made for less (it's not uncommon for Chinese productions to exaggerate their budgets to attract attention, insiders say).
Asura, an epic fantasy film loosely based on Buddhist mythology, is perhaps a glimpse of the Chinese industry to come. With a budget of $100 million, it is said to be the country's most expensive fully domestic film ever. And THR got some first-look exclusive photos.
The debut directorial effort of Chinese filmmaker Peng Zhang, whose career as a Hollywood stunt coordinator goes back two decades (Ant-Man, The Twilight Saga, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), the film features an international cast and veteran Hollywood production team, despite being a Chinese-language film intended first and foremost for the Chinese market.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter by Patrick Brzeski
