Chinese Language Update of Gangster Romance Tops $14 Million on Release
Man in Love, a Taiwanese remake of the 2014 Korean film of the same name, is in the midst of a record-breaking box office run in Taiwan, where it debuted in April. The film topped the charts for three straight weeks and has so far collected over TWD 400 million (USD 14 million) making it the most successful local theatrical release in Taiwan since the pandemic began early last year.
The film debuted in second place and rose to first by its sophomore weekend and held on to the top spot for the rest of the month. It is on the cusp of entering all time top five for Taiwanese films at the box office.
The original Man in Love was one of the several titles released during the busy Lunar New Year holiday season in 2014. From director HAN Dongwook, the film starred HWANG Jungmin as a small-time gangster making ends meet as a debt collector who meets a banker, played by HAN Hyejin, who has fallen into debt as a result of her ailing father’s hospital bills. The film welcomed about two million viewers during its domestic theatrical release.
The Taiwanese update features Roy CHIU and Tiffany HSU in the roles originally played by HWANG and HAN and was directed by YIN ChenHao. It is expected to be released in mainland Chinese theaters in the second half of the year.