Deadpool makes China debut, but seen to falter

Describing Deadpool as one of the funniest Marvel superheroes, he says: "Making it (the film) was just so much fun because of the way he looks, because of the way he behaves.

"We get to say and do all these things that no other Marvel character can do. And, for me, that's just the ultimate privilege-to have a character that completely relates to everywhere."

The film's Chinese title is "Deadpool 2: I Love My Family", a nod to China's 1990s household TV sitcom I Love My Family, a 120-episode production about a six-member family in Beijing.

Separately, as a way to localize the marketing, the producers made posters of Deadpool and Cable featuring Spring Festival elements and an advertisement linking Deadpool and iconic Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Chow's The New King of Comedy.

Despite its initial success, the film's box-office prospects seem uncertain and perhaps not as bright as Hollywood stand-alone superhero films Venom and Aquaman, according to industry analysts.

This is because though the film opened on nearly 40 percent of China's urban screens, it earned more than 58 million yuan on the first day, compared with 241 million yuan for Venom and 165 million yuan for Aquaman. But attendance declined from 10.2 percent on the first day to 1.2 percent on Wednesday.

Also, as a bunch of domestic blockbusters will soon hit theaters to usher in Lunar New Year, the Deadpool film is estimated to ultimately earn less than 300 million yuan, according to Maoyan, a box-office tracker.

A successful Hollywood blockbuster can typically earn more than 1 billion yuan in China.