July 26--REPORTING FROM BEIJING -- "Monster Hunt," a hybrid animation-live action film centered on a baby monster who resembles a white radish, has become the top-grossing Chinese film ever, earning about $208 million in its first 10 days of release, mainland government regulators said Sunday.
The film was directed by Raman Hui, who previously worked on American animated films including "Shrek 3" and "Antz," and was produced by Bill Kong's Hong Kong-based Edko Films. "Monster Hunt" surpasses the 2012 low-budget road-trip comedy "Lost in Thailand," said the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
A sequel to "Monster Hunt" is already in the works, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
The "Monster Hunt" cast includes Tang Wei, Sandra Ng and Bai Baihe. The production was forced to undergo significant reshoots after Taiwanese actor Kai Ko was arrested on drug charges in Beijing and authorities signaled that films or TV shows featuring performers with such criminal records might be barred from release.
"Monster Hunt" has had the benefit of no foreign competition from "Minions," "Inside Out" or other Hollywood studio movies. Mainland Chinese regulators institute a regular summer "blackout" period when foreign films are barred from theaters in order to boost the local movie industry.
