Chinese takes lead in Hollywood

Canadian actor Henry Lau and Kathryn Prescott (both left) play two good friends who bond with a special canine in A Dog's Journey.
Canadian actor Henry Lau and Kathryn Prescott (both above) play two good friends who bond with a special canine in A Dog's Journey.PHOTO: UIP
Published
May 16, 2019, 5:00 am SGT

Pop star Henry Lau is the rare Asian male to be cast as the romantic lead in A Dog's Journey. The first film was a hit in China

Alison de Souza in Los Angeles

Desperate to break into China, Hollywood studios are still struggling to crack the code on what Chinese audiences want.

But the 2017 movie A Dog's Purpose accidentally stumbled onto a winning formula. The weepy tale of beloved pet Bailey - who dies but is repeatedly reincarnated to help his human family - scooped up US$205 million (S$280.5 million) at the global box office, US$88 million of that in China compared with US$64 million in the United States.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 16, 2019, with the headline 'Chinese takes lead in Hollywood'. Print Edition | Subscribe
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