Chinese moviegoers prefer Avatar over Confucius

Jan 26, 2010, 9:06 GMT

Beijing - Chinese cinema operators were Tuesday defying an official directive to scale down showings of blockbuster Avatar, as Confucius, a state-backed Chinese high-budget movie, disappoints at the box office.

Several cinemas confirmed that they were still showing the regular version of Avatar owing to continued high demand, despite earlier instructions to only show the science fiction movie's 3-D version.

Avatar has earned more than 550 million yuan (80.5 million dollars) at China's box office since opening in early January, making it the most successful movie in history.

Despite its success, Avatar should have been replaced by Confucius, a local production promoting the teachings of the philosopher, at the start of the Chinese New Year holidays.

With 2,500 copies, Confucius was set for the biggest opening in Chinese movie history, but the 150-million-yuan production, starring Chow Yun Fat received only mixed reviews and a lukewarm public reception.

Prominent blogger Han Han, wrote Confucius was 'completely unnecessary' but was full of praise for Avatar.

US director James Cameron's movie hit a nerve with Chinese moviegoers. The fate of the Na'vi, who were driven out of their homes on the distant planet of Pandora, reminded them of their families, who were forced from theirs to make way for new development projects.