China's movie market on fire

Back home China's movie market is on fire. Actor-turned director Zhao Wei's first-ever production has raked in almost 700 million yuan since it hit the big screen in late April. And now, renowned director Peter Chan is back with his latest film "American Dreams in China". It grabbed more than 100 million yuan just two days after its opening day.

"American Dreams in China" opens strong

Veteran Hong Kong director Peter Chan returns with a familiar rags-to-riches story spanning 30 years.

The film "American Dreams in China" is about three young men who start up an English-language training school. It begins in 1985, during China's national study-abroad craze. At that time, many undergraduates were infatuated with the U.S., believing it was their only hope for a good future.

The cast is led by Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao and Tong Dawei, among the most popular actors in the country today. The film has pulled in 186 million yuan since its debut last Friday, even knocking Hollywood blockbuster "Iron Man 3" off the top of the Chinese box office.

Can't stop "The Croods"

Another big hit in the Chinese cinema is "The Croods", a 3D computer-animated adventure comedy.

"The Croods" brings the prehistoric age to the 21st century. A dysfunctional family of cave dwellers is forced to flee the comforts of home, and search out a new life in the unknown.

The cartoon stars the voices of Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone and Nicolas Cage. And it proves once again that Hollywood's animated flicks are big in China. The family-friendly effort has taken in an impressive 328 million yuan since it opened on April 20th. It also had the strongest opening day in China for a DreamWorks Animation title so far.