'The Mermaid' Environment Movie Sets Box Office Record In China

A fantasy environment movie called "The Mermaid" has set a new box office record in China. The movie is denouncing the human toll on marine wildlife and its great success to the audiences is a sign of increasing environmental awareness among the Chinese public.

"The Mermaid" is the creation of Hong Kong actor-director Stephen Chow, known abroad for his previous hit "Shaolin Soccer."  According to the publication Mail Online, just over two weeks after its debut the environmental romantic comedy "The Mermaid" had taken by Wednesday 2.89 billion yuan ($456 million) at the Chinese box office.

According to Variety, the movie scored $139 million in the past week and was again top over the three-day Friday-to-Sunday weekend.

"The Mermaid" has become the all times China box office record, with a total that stands far above the 542 million yuan from the James Bond movie "Spectre" or even the 825 million yuan made in China by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The movie is filmed in 3D and recounts the adventures of mermaids planning to assassinate a ruthless real estate magnate who is killing native dolphins after he has bought a nature reserve. According to China director of the NGO WildAid, May Mei, the fact that movies about the environment are able to raise such public interest is good news.

Despite its many gags, "The Mermaid" carries a political weight. This is rare for Chinese cinema that tends to aim for pure mass entertainment. According to director Mei, the film depicts more than a love story since it focus more on man's destruction of the environment.

Mei said that the public is growing awareness on these sorts of issues in the past ten years. Even the actor Jackie Chan appeared in a video clip of the World Wildlife Foundation to promote the protection of wild animals. The growing public demand in China for environmentally themed stories is a "reflection of society's progress", according to Zhang Yuanyuan, China head of the animal protection group ActAsia.