While Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” crossed the $100 million mark in North American box offices almost 15 years ago, the Chinese movie market is now widely expected to overtake the North American box office within three years, according to Hollywood Reporter. That would make China the largest film market in the world.
Chinese films aren’t rare to the big screen in the U.S. Of the top 100 foreign films by gross income in America, 11 were made in China — including two in the top five. Here are the top 10 highest-grossing Chinese films in the U.S.
10. Farewell my Concubine
Released: 1993
Total earnings: $5.21 million
9. Curse of the Golden Flower
Released: 2006
Total earnings: $6.56 million
8. The Wedding Banquet
Released: 1993
Total earnings: $6.93 million
7. Eat Drink Man Woman
Released: 1994
Total earnings: $7.29 million
6. House of Flying Daggers
Released: 2004
Total earnings: $11.05 million
5. Iron Monkey
Released: 1993
Total earnings: $14.69 million
4. Kung Fu Hustle
Released: 2004
Total earnings: $17.1 million
3. Jet Li’s Fearless
Released: 2006
Total earnings:$24.63 million
2. Hero
Released: 2002
Total earnings: $53.71 million
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Released: 2000
Total earnings: $128,078,872
Data via Box Office Mojo, which tracks theatrical box office earnings across the U.S. and Canada. Films made by mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were included in this list.