Finnish director Renny Harlin’s box office film Skiptrace was made in China. Harlin is not the only one attracted to the film market in Asia’s giant nation. With 1.4 billion inhabitants, China is the world’s largest country in terms of population. People in Asia have been becoming middle-class – and increasingly cinema-going.
Several films in Asia
Skiptrace is not the only movie Renny Harlin has made in Asia. Actually, the Finnish director has had several different projects in Asia. The most of the productions have been in China.
Here is a list of all the films directed by Renny Harlin in Asia:
- Skiptrace (2016) – Renny Harlin directed this Chinese action comedy starring Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville.
- Bodies at Rest (2019) – Renny Harlin directed this Chinese crime film set in a Chinese forensic laboratory.
- Legend of the Ancient Sword (2018) – Renny Harlin co-directed this Chinese fantasy film.
- The Adventurers (2017) – Renny Harlin co-directed this Chinese action film that follows a group of thieves who attempt to rob a valuable diamond necklace.
- Skiptrace 2 (planned) – Renny Harlin has announced that he will direct a sequel to Skiptrace.
Renny Harlin has spent most of his career in Hollywood. His films have been mainly made in Europe and the United States, so films made in Asia are by no means his only output. His Hollywood breakthrough came with Die Hard 2. Other well-known films include A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight.
In recent years, Harlin’s life has changed considerably, both in terms of his filmmaking and his personal life. During the Corona years, he spent time in his native Finland and made a couple of Finnish films there, while meeting his current wife and mother of his daughter, Johanna Harlin. The couple, who have shot several films in Europe, now live in Miami but are active travelers around the world.
Harlin’s success has taken effort. In Harlin’s view, hard work is one of the few things that unite China and America, but also Finland.
Harlin’s movie Skiptrace assisted by Jackie Chan
Skiptrace, directed by Renny Harlin, drew a record crowd on its opening weekend following its world premiere in China and grossed $60 million at the box office. What explains its popularity? One of the answers is Jackie Chan in the lead role.
People like Jackie Chan and blockbuster movies are a big draw. On the other hand, China might have been inspired by the fact that Skiptraces has a foreign director who presents China as a great place.
White screens will be outnumbering those in the US
China has been building cinemas at an accelerating pace, and the box office is showing. This has been addressed also at Brite casino on Kasinokolikkopelit.com. The Chinese film market is growing at a tremendous pace. China will be one of the key focus areas for the global film industry in the future. China will presumably be considered in content, perspectives, characters, and casting also when movies are being produced in Europe, for instance.
Films that focus on China must remember the country’s strong nationalism: it is not worth criticizing or cheapening Chinese history or culture. The same applies in reverse. If a film contains elements of Chinese history and culture that are appreciative and admiring, such as in Kung Fu Panda or The Karate Kid, they will be eagerly received by the censors and the public.
