The Chinese film YOLO hit the screens in over 200 theaters across North America on March 8, raking in around $840k in its opening weekend. With the least number of theaters in play, it managed to crack the top ten single-day and weekend box office charts, landing at the 9th spot for the weekend.
YOLO is co-produced by New Classics Pictures and Yuewen Media, subsidiaries of Chinese culture and entertainment group Yuewen. Directed by Jia Ling, it’s so far pulled in a whopping 3.44 billion CNY (479 million USD) in China since opening Feb 10 and took the top spot for worldwide box office in 2024. In its debut weekend in Australia, YOLO lit up the box office with AU$483,000 across 40 theaters, outshining several Hollywood premieres and coming in second on the local box office chart. In New Zealand, meanwhile, the film made a sizzling debut, claiming fourth place despite a limited run of just 15 theaters.
Previously, Sony Pictures International announced a collaboration with New Classics Pictures to handle the worldwide distribution of YOLO. The main character in this film is Le Ying (Jia Ling), an unemployed woman in her thirties still living with her parents until she crosses paths with a boxing coach Hao Kun(Lei Jiayin) who could shake things up for her.
This film conveys a powerful emotional impact in a joyful atmosphere. From “staying at home for ten years” to “To win, at least once,” in the film, Le Ying learns to “love herself” through a journey of personal growth and transformation. The film’s Tomatometer score hasn’t yet been released, but it has an audience score of 98%. Many users have posted reviews on IMDB saying, “The underlying message is inspirational,” “Very touching,” “Conveys the courage to never give up,” and “heartfelt drama”.
Hou Xiaonan, the producer of YOLO, as well as the CEO and President of Yuewen, described the film as a story of how an ordinary person transforms herself and embraces self-love. The inner growth of the character really spoke to Hou, as it is what he wants to share with global audience as well. According to reports, the film will be gradually rolling out in more countries and regions, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, China.
In 2021, the collaboration between Yuewen and Director Jia Ling on the movie Hi, Mom achieved a record-breaking box office of 5.41 billion CNY (752 million USD). The remake rights for the English-language version of the film have also been acquired by Sony Pictures International. In 2024, several Yuewen productions are expected to be released globally, including TV dramas Joy of Life Season 2, Guardians of the Dafeng, The Legend of Shen Li, and The Tale of Rose, as well as films I Am Nobody and Customs Frontline. Joy of Life Season 2 has already broken an all-time record in China with over 12 million subscriptions.