BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- "Detective Chinatown 3," the newest installment in China's well-received "Detective Chinatown" film franchise, topped the list of most-anticipated Chinese-language films for 2021 compiled by review platform Douban.
A sequel to the 2018 comedy hit "Detective Chinatown 2" that grossed 3.4 billion yuan (about 520 million U.S. dollars), "Detective Chinatown 3" is set for release on the upcoming Spring Festival that falls on Feb. 12.
"Assassin in Red," a fantasy thriller film also slated for release on the same day, ranked second on the list.
Jia Zhangke's documentary "Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue" came in third though its release date is yet to be unveiled.
It was followed by "Home Sweet Home," a thriller film starring Hong Kong actor Aaron Kwok, and an animated sci-fi known in Chinese as "Shen Hai" co-produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures, the same company behind the blockbuster "Ne Zha."
Also on the list was the fantasy drama "The Yinyang Master" starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun, also scheduled for release during the Spring Festival.
Movie theaters reopened in China on July 20 following months of closure due to COVID-19.
China's 2020 box office revenue has to date exceeded 18 billion yuan, with the top four earners, all domestic productions, contributing nearly half of the earnings. Enditem
