China's biggest Lunar New Year release is another Korean War propaganda movie

The Chinese box office has raked in $314 million so far during the Lunar New Year holiday, largely thanks to a patriotic war epic celebrating China's victory over the United States during a key battle during the Korean War. "Water Gate Bridge" is the sequel to the 2021 Chinese blockbuster "The Battle at Lake Changjin," which glorifies the heroism of Chinese soldiers fighting American troops during the war. Both films were co-directed by top Chinese and Hong Kong filmmakers Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam.
"Water Gate Bridge" has grossed $137 million in ticket sales since its release Tuesday, the first day of the major holiday period. It's one of the biggest holiday season releases in the last few years.

That box office haul comprises nearly half of the total revenue from ticket sales for the holiday period. Sales reached $237 million on Tuesday, with another $77 million as of Wednesday morning, according to data from Dengta Professional, a box office tracking app owned by Alibaba.

Analysts expect "Water Gate Bridge" to boost this year's Lunar New Year box office total to a new record, surpassing last year's $1.2 billion — itself a number that accounted for more than 16% of China's entire box office haul in 2021. The holiday period lasts a week.

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