Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Los Angeles Times

    As its film business grows up, China faces an 'Ishtar' moment with its most expensive movie

    by Ryan Faughnder and David Pierson, Los Angeles Times Jul 24, 2018 5 minutes

    It was supposed to be China's "Lord of the Rings." Instead, it turned into another "Ishtar," the infamous box office bomb of 1987.

    Produced for more than $100 million, the fantasy epic "Asura" was billed as the most expensive movie ever produced by China's burgeoning film industry. It aimed to spawn a trilogy based on Tibetan mythology by following a classic Hollywood playbook: pair a time-tested story with sumptuous visual effects, big-name actors and industry veterans.

    Then the movie hit theaters last weekend with a thud, grossing just $7 million. In a stunning retreat, the producers quickly yanked the mega-flop from theaters, offering no explanation.

    "We apologize to the audience who never got to watch the movie and the inconvenience it caused," they said on Chinese social media site Weibo.

    "Asura" became the talk of the Chinese film industry after it disappeared

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from Los Angeles Times

    Los Angeles Times5 min read
    Fireworks, Drones, Travis Scott Hats: USC Hosts Alternative Graduation Event. Feelings Are Mixed
    No valedictorian speech. No celebrity speakers. No main-stage ceremony, and no massive graduate walk to “Pomp and Circumstance” before tens of thousands of guests. Instead, the University of Southern California’s graduating seniors — whose traditiona
    Los Angeles Times2 min read
    Woman Claiming To Be Real Martha Tells Piers Morgan 'Baby Reindeer' Is 'Hyperbole'
    Will the real Martha Scott please stand up? At least one woman has now done so: In an interview with British television presenter Piers Morgan that was posted to his YouTube channel on Thursday, 58-year-old Scotswoman Fiona Harvey claims to be the ba
    Los Angeles Times5 min readWorld
    Commentary: Since The Hamas Attack, Israelis Have Begun Arming Themselves The American Way
    Among the core Israeli national narratives that have been fractured by the Hamas terror attacks and months of war and violence is the notion that Israel’s ethos on firearms differs from that of the United States. Both countries can be characterized a

    Related Books & Audiobooks