A LOW-BUDGET, domestically produced comedy has unexpectedly become the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time.

    Chinese State media say the wacky road movie “Lost in Thailand” has grossed more than 1 billion yuan (US$160 million) since its Dec. 12 debut. Xinhua News Agency, citing an independent monitor of box office figures, said Wednesday that it also beat James Cameron’s “Titanic” in 3D, the most popular foreign film of 2012, in Chinese theaters.

    The movie, which cost just 30 million yuan to make, tells the story of two rival Chinese businessmen vying to find the company’s major shareholder in Thailand and a simple-minded pancake maker. It is filled with slapstick comedy and action.

    Since hitting theaters Dec. 12, the comedy has outshone and out-earned its domestic and foreign competition, including “Life of Pi,” “Back to 1942,” “The Last Supper,” “Chinese Zodiac 12” and “The Last Tycoon.”

    “The comedy is successful because it gives Chinese audiences what they want: popular stars, funny dialogue, good timing and a reflection of ourselves,” said Zhang Huijun, head of the Beijing Film Academy.

    According to New Film Association general manager Huang Qunfei, Chinese-made movies made more than their imported counterparts for the past nine years in China, but this year, foreign imports are set to out-earn domestic films for the first time.

    Statistics from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) show that from January to October, domestic films accounted for 41.4 percent of total box office earnings, marking a noticeable drop from the same period of last year.

    As of Dec. 24, only three domestic films were among the 10 highest-grossing films of the year: “Lost in Thailand,” “Painted Skin: The Resurrection” (726 million yuan) and “Back to 1942” (364 million yuan), according to figures provided by China Film News.

    Other movies on the list include “Titanic in 3D” (935 million yuan), “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” (679 million yuan), “Life of Pi” (570 million yuan), “The Avengers” (565 million yuan), “Men in Black 3” (517 million yuan), “Ice Age: Continental Drift” (458 million yuan) and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” (388 million yuan).

    Tian Jin, deputy head of the SARFT, announced in November that the market share of domestic movies had dropped due to the increasing number of imported films.

    In February, China and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding on films in the World Trade Organization’s China audiovisual case. According to the memo, 14 more U.S. films will be imported into China annually, in addition to the original 20-film quota.

    The immaturity of the Chinese film industry is another major reason why domestic films lag behind, and Chinese film production companies need to learn from their Western counterparts, Huang said. (Xinhua)