On January 20, Sina reported that the film Hero of the Legend: The Grand Adventure, directed by Qiu Jian and starring Zhang Da Fei, debuted with ticket sales that broke 11 records within just one day.
Specifically, the film became a box office hit, generating 10 million yuan in revenue, making it the fastest film to reach this milestone in history, with just 45 minutes after its release. Previously, this record belonged to the film Detective Chinatown 3 with 46 minutes. Additionally, the movie quickly surpassed revenue milestones of 20-30 million yuan, reaching up to 100 million yuan within a single day.
Hero of the Legend: The Grand Adventure by Qiu Jian is currently leading the box office during the Lunar New Year holiday.
According to Sina, early ticket buyers are primarily fans of the actors, eager to support their favorite stars. The box office revenue directly affects the film’s performance in its opening days. The Lunar New Year of 2025 will see many blockbuster films returning, such as Feng Shen 2, Ne Zha: The Devil’s Child 2, Detective Chinatown 4, thus the pressure on Qiu Jian and Hero of the Legend: The Grand Adventure is immense.
Prior to this, when the trailer for Hero of the Legend: The Grand Adventure was released, it received mixed reactions from audiences. Among them, several critics felt that Qiu Jian was not fitting for the role of Guo Jing.
According to Sohu, the trailer was criticized for being poorly produced, lacking significant martial arts elements, and highlighted as a weak point of director Tu Ke. The dark tone of the film and unclear cinematography were also noted.
The main female character, Huang Rong, played by Zhang Da Fei, only appears in a small part of the film, which has left many impressions. Meanwhile, the character Princess Hua Zheng, who has feelings for Guo Jing, played by Zhang Wen Han, has a strong visual presence, differing from previous versions.
According to Sina, Qiu Jian’s version of Hero of the Legend is adapted from chapters 34-40 of the original story by Jin Yong, focusing on the turbulent times when Guo Jing was separated from his homeland. Although highly regarded by experts and deeply rooted in martial arts culture, he still faces many challenges and becomes a target for many adversaries. Alongside Huang Rong (played by Zhang Da Fei), Guo Jing has attempted to defend the southern borders.
Thus, at this point, Guo Jing appears less than the heroic warrior he is meant to be, and there are many battles that are not concentrated on his romantic relationship with Huang Rong or personal vendettas, leading to grand battle scenes. Besides Qiu Jian, the film also features notable actors such as Liu Yang Jia as Dong Ao and Hu Quan as Hong Thach Cong. Immediately after its release, the film’s trailer garnered 100 million views within just 7 hours.
