The new Chinese thriller Witness, a remake of the 2011 Korean title Blind, topped the Chinese box office during its opening last week. Directed by the original’s filmmaker AHN Sang-hoon, Witness drew 3.78 million spectators and generated USD 19.1 million in sales over the three-day weekend. The film topped Marvel’s Ant-Man, which has made USD 102 million after three weeks on release.

 

Witness follows a blind protagonist, and former police academy recruit, who becomes a key witness to solving a string of murders. KIM Ha-neul picked up Best Actress accolades from the Grand Bell and Blue Dragon Film Awards as the main character, and the remake features Tiny Times actress YANG Mini in her stead. Meanwhile, YOO Seung-ho’s role was taken over by LU Han, a former Chinese member of the Korean boyband EXO. The redo also features ZHU Yawen, WANG Jingchun, LIU Ruilin and LAI Yi.

 

Director AHN scored a hit with Blind four years ago when it attracted 2.37 million viewers (USD 16.18 million) but fared less well earlier this year, when he returned with the period drama Empire of Lust, with SHIN Ha-kyun and JANG Hyuk, which could only muster 469,891 admissions (USD 3.29 million).

 

Witness, which marks the first release of Beijing Enlight Media Co Ltd. which is a subsidiary of Youth Enlight Pictures Co Ltd., received a KRW 380 million (USD 344,400) co-production incentive from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).