Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible III" (M:I3), released last Thursday, has racked up 25.44 million yuan (3.18 million U.S. dollars) in its first four days at the box office in China, Weng Li, deputy distribution manager of the China Film Group Corporation, one of the movie's two China distributors, told Xinhua Monday.

But the release of Hong Kong action movie "Dragon Tiger Gate" in China on July 28 may dim M:I3's prospects in the weeks to come.

"Even if some scenes have been cut, "M:I3" is coherent and it has an intense story line. It has gathered momentum but 'Dragon Tiger Gate' could still hurt it," said Jia Yingying, spokeswoman of the China Film Stellar Theater Chain (CFSTC).

The 10-million-U.S.-dollar "Dragon Tiger Gate," directed by Wilson Yip and starring kungfu star Donnie Yen and singer Nicholas Tse, has a strong cast and has generated a lot of pre-release hype, said Huang Ziyan, manager of the New Film Association, another cinema powerhouse in China.

"In my experience, China-made blockbusters released in summer are often hits," she said. "In the last few years, look at 'House of Flying Daggers,' 'New Police Story' or 'Initial D'."

Another Hollywood blockbuster, "Superman Returns," has not suffered as much as had been expected from competition with "M:I3", according to Weng. Two weeks after its release in China, it has generated sales of 48.17 million yuan (6 million U.S. dollars).

"Superman didn't slump after the release of M:I3, it has outperformed expectations. But it might face a bigger challenge from 'Dragon Tiger Gate' than from 'M:I3'," Jia told Xinhua.

Jia said that a low-budget China-made film, "Crazy Stone," starring Hong Kong heart-throb Andy Lau and directed by Ning Hao, is competing strongly with the Hollywood blockbusters.

The 625,000-U.S.-dollar movie, about a funny scramble for a priceless emerald among two groups of thieves and guards, has so far proved to be the box office champion of China-made films this year. "Crazy Stone" has earned over 10 million yuan (1.25 million U.S. dollars) since its release in China on June 30.

Source: Xinhua