Out Of This World

MOVE OVER MICHAEL BAY, there's a new director of futuristic special-effects extravaganza. He doesn't speak fluent English and may never direct a Hollywood movie. But he can make a spectacular doomsday blockbuster as well as you can. And he can do it at a fraction of your budget.

We're talking about Frant Gwo, the 38-year-old Chinese director whose science fiction epic The Wandering Earth has grossed over US$700 million worldwide, which includes US$693 million in China. The film is China's second highest-grossing film of all time and the second highest-grossing non-English film of all time. (The No 1 position is held by Wolf Warrior 2, also a Chinese film).

Made on a budget of US$50 million, the film debuted in China during the Lunar New Year period this year and instantly smashed box-office records. And though it wasn't screened in Singapore theatres, Netflix purchased the film and started streaming it on May 6, creating a small buzz on social media.