Tim Burton’s live-action “Dumbo” will fly into Chinese theaters on March 29, the same day it opens in the U.S., Chinese film site Mtime announced Tuesday.
The loose remake of the 1941 Disney animated film features a star-studded cast that includes Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green and Alan Arkin. Danny Elfman composed the score, and the screenplay was written by Ehren Kruger.
The Chinese title translates literally to “Little Flying Elephant.” The China poster features a wide-eyed Dumbo, ears outspread, soaring above a circus while an assortment of characters look on from below. The image is topped by a header that loosely translates to “embrace the flight of the unexpected, experience the impossible.”
“Dumbo’s” debut release date falls well after the Chinese New Year holiday, one of the year’s most popular movie-going periods, during which Chinese authorities shut out imported foreign titles to give a boost to the domestic film industry.
Fox’s “Alita: Battle Angel” was the first Hollywood title to enter the market after the holiday period, earning $62 million in its opening weekend and knocking Chinese sci-fi blockbuster “The Wandering Earth” from a more-than-two-week streak at the top of the box office.
This Friday will see the debut of Universal’s “” and “Green Book,” fresh off its three Oscar wins on Sunday, which should give it a promotional boost with mainland audiences. Chinese media have touted “Green Book’s” Academy Awards as a win for China as well as Hollywood, given Alibaba Pictures’ investment in the film.
