Chinese actress Angelababy stars in director Roland Emmerich's film "Independence Day: Resurgence" which premiered in Beijing on Friday, June 24. While many fans in the US have stated that the movie failed to live up to the original prequel, the movie has managed to get more positive reviews in China, where has earned $25 million.
Some observers have noted that the movie is appealing to Chinese viewers because it was shot in the country and has a famous Chinese actress among its cast.
The setting of "Independence Day: Resurgence" takes place 20 years after the first movie. Emmerich apparently wanted the film to have a Chinese element since China, and the US are known to be the two biggest economic powers. Both nations unite in the film to fight off the aliens.
However, the idea that Emmerich wanted to portray did not appeal to US fans. Many have stated that the movie was dull, and it is not comparable to the first release. While Emmerich claims that he added a lot of his sense of humor, many think that the plot is similar to typical alien vs. human movies.
Despite the bad reviews, the film still managed to be the third best live action film internationally. It earned $4 million during its first preview and managed to earn $16.8 million at the end of its first week. However, its performance is somewhat disappointing as the 1996 version set a record as the highest grossing movie, earning $814.7 million.
Meanwhile, Angelababy has admitted that she agreed to take the role because her husband Huang Xiaoming is a huge fan of the first movie.