Why "Skiptrace" Is Top In China: It's Not Just About Jackie Chan!

Piece by: Mercy Gakii
Exclusives

Have you heard of the new movie "Skiptrace"? It's an exciting new flick that has made the most amount of money for Jackie Chan in his entire 50 year acting career. Yes, you heard me right.

In China, "Skiptrace" has currently earned a whooping $62.2Million (Sh 6.30 billion) and it knocked out all the competition, including Warner Bros’ The Legend of Tarzan.

The action comedy "Skiptrace" co-stars Johnnie Knoxville as a fast-talking American gambler. Chan, playing a Hong Kong detective, is forced to team up with Knoxville's character after his niece, (played by Fan Bingbing) runs into trouble with a notorious criminal mastermind.

“Skiptrace” is the kind of movie that gives you your money’s worth. Most of “Skiptrace” is an 'on-the-road' comedy where Chan drags Knoxville towards Hong Kong. En route, they pass eastern Russia, the Mongolian steppes, the Gobi Desert and more ...by train, car, horse, foot, and inflated-pigskin raft—finding some sort of cultural festival or other spectacle wherever they go.

So, what's really special about this movie? For starters, it was made on a production budget of $30 million. In addition, the film is a Chinese-HK-US production, and the characters speak both Chinese and English (yes, even Johnny Knoxville) making it easy for the Chinese to relate.

Also, the end credits sport a dedication to Chan Kwok-hung, a cinematographer and longtime Chan collaborator who died in a drowning accident during the film’s production.

Reports from the Chinese press say that "Skiptrace" could be the only Chinese-language film that could gross 1 billion RMB (which translates to $153M). That's a first!

So it's not only about Jackie Chan. "Skiptrace" is a worthwhile movie with undertones ...and yes, it's hilarious!

Check out the trailer and be sure to watch this movie.