Chinese holiday films steal limelight of American hits in San Francisco Bay Area

More than 160 tickets were sold for the noon showtime at the theater on Tuesday. It was almost sold out every showtime, said an employee who did not want to be identified by name. In the past week, "The Wandering Earth" has been the most popular movie at the theater, he said.

As the Chinese holiday movies drive up the box office revenues in China, they also help fill up seats quickly at the movie theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In China, "The Wandering Earth" has raked in 304 million U.S. dollars in its first six days. In the United States, it has earned more than 2 million dollars in the first six days since the limited release at 64 movie theaters on Feb. 5, according to Box Office Mojo, a website that tracks box office revenue.

On imdb.com, an online film database, the Chinese film has scored 7.9 out of 10, with more than 3,000 users rating it.

"The story is not everyday Hollywood style: Superhero saves the day; everyone else is there to give a round of applause. This movie brings a serious question to the audience: What are you gonna do facing an unavoidable, irresistible disaster to our civilization?" wrote a user under the name CJ_53589793 on IMDB.

While sci-fi movies may not appeal to everyone, some Chinese language comedies, like "Pegasus" and "Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year," are also running at some theaters in the Bay Area for family watchers.

Maggie Lin, whose office is close to the AMC theater in Santa Clara, bought a few tickets for her family during the lunch break.

The story of Pegasus, which has also received positive reviews, follows a former race car champion-turned-fried rice stall manager who decides to return to the track and challenge a new generation of drivers despite the road bumps along his journey.

"I like lighthearted and funny movies," said Lin, a Chinese descendant. "It's great that we can see the Chinese New Year movies simultaneously in the United States."

Last year, the Chinese holiday comedy "Chinatown Detective 2" earned nearly 2 million dollars in the United States, according to Box Office Mojo. "The Wandering Earth" is expected to get ahead of it.

"Not many Chinese movies get to screen here after all. We want to show our support," Lin said.