Chen Sicheng Talks ‘Lost in the Stars,’ His Chinese Box Office Megahit: ‘Audiences Enjoy Locally Relevant Stories’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Actor, director and screenwriter Chen Sicheng is one of the giants of contemporary Chinese cinema.

His three “Detective Chinatown” films have earned more than $1.2 billion of box office revenue, and Chen is the producing force behind another major franchise, “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” adapted from the Indian “Drishyam” films.

“Lost in the Stars,” Chen’s latest effort, this time as producer and screenwriter, is another megahit. Co-directed by Cui Rui and Liu Xiang, “Lost in the Stars” has grossed $430 million (RMB3.08 billion) in China – enough to make it the seventh-biggest film worldwide this year and the 14th biggest film of all time in China – all in the span of just 17 days.

The movie is a mystery drama, adapted from the ’90s Russian film “A Trap for the Lonely Man,” which itself was adapted from a Robert Thomas stage play. It sees a woman disappear while on holiday with her husband (portrayed by Zhu Yilong). When she returns, the man believes the woman (Janice Man) to be an imposter. But when a high-powered lawyer (Ni Ni) gets involved, yet more mysteries and problems emerge.

Launching in North America last weekend, “Lost in the Stars” started off with a cool $802,000, according to Comscore. Local distributor CMC Pictures reports that since the weekend, the screen count has expanded to 93 venues and, as of Tuesday, the stateside tally has stretched to $929,000 – the second biggest performance by a Chinese film this year in North America.

While he has worked across multiple genres, Chen tells Variety below that the common thread running through his works is an attempt to find connections with audiences’ everyday lives.

Where did “Lost in the Stars” begin for you?

I was initially attracted by the setup of the story. A man claims his wife has disappeared, but the next day the stranger lying next to him insists that she is his wife.

How different was your approach to this film compared with the “Detective Chinatown” movies?

I’ve attempted various kinds of genre fusion in my previous works. The “Detective Chinatown” franchise is a combination of mystery and comedy, a family-friendly experience. The “Sheep Without a Shepherd” series combines suspense with an exploration of social issues and leans more towards social realism. But, with “Lost in the Stars,” we aimed for a pure expression of suspense across all elements: plot, visual style and music.

How did you choose the cast for “Lost in the Stars”?

I love the feeling of ambiguity that both Ni Ni and Zhu Yilong have as performers. In suspense movies, we don’t want the audience to have too strong a perception of who is good and who is bad right from the start. Zhu Yilong’s performance is always at a comfortable distance from the audience, which really allowed him to portray the character of He Fei well. And Ni Ni and the character of Chen Mai are so similar – both charming, both unique.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during production?

The scene where Zhu Yilong’s hair is shaved was pretty risky, as we only had one chance to shoot. We hired a professional barber, but the barber didn’t have much experience in front of the camera and became very nervous. We all held our breath. Fortunately, the scene ended up pretty well. Zhu Yilong’s performance was beyond my expectations. We captured the moment when a tear ran down his face. It wasn’t in the script, but it really resonated with viewers.

What takeaways do you hope the audience gains from this film?

I hope the film encourages those who may be acting impulsively to think more calmly about each choice they make. A random decision can change your entire life.

Hollywood films are struggling at the mainland Chinese box office, while local titles have largely recovered to pre-COVID levels. What is your understanding of that situation?

Whether it’s Hollywood movies or local titles, Chinese audiences nowadays prefer films that allow them to deeply reflect on the core of the story while they are watching the film. The era of solely relying on marketing to attract audiences into theaters has passed. As creators, we need to devote ourselves to continually improving production levels and to make films that are better aligned with our audiences.

You worked on TV dramas in your earlier years. Why did you make the switch to suspense movies?

I believe life itself is the greatest mystery. The suspense genre allows me to incorporate reflections on social issues into my works. And audiences enjoy locally relevant suspense stories.

What’s next for you?

Lots! Over the next couple of years, I plan to keep exploring different genres. I will shoot a film in August that is different from my previous works. There will also be a continuation and expansion of the “Sheep Without a Shepherd” series, going back to the original IP. The script is almost ready. There will also be realistic comedies I want to work on. And I plan to adapt “Ball Lighting,” a modern literature work that won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, into a film. With my team, I hope to create more excellent films and to encourage both Chinese and international audiences to better understand present-day China.

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