Pat Boonnitipat’s family drama How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has scored the biggest opening for a Thai film this year.
According to producer and distributor GDH 559, the film opened top of the local box office with takings of $2.6m (THB94,700,000) nationwide over the four-day first weekend (April 4-7). It dethroned Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, which opened on March 28, and pushed Korean hit Exhuma, which previously led the box office following its March 21 opening, to third place.
It marks the biggest opening for a Thai film this year and the second biggest opening film overall, behind Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. The feature accounted for 43% of the weekend box office in Bangkok and Chiangmai and together with holdover Thai films such as Oh My Ghosts: The Finale and Pee Nak 4, local titles secured a 55% of theatrical share against overseas features.
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies follows a young man who quits his job to assume the role of a devoted grandson and goes to great lengths to become the apple of his dying grandmother’s eye before time runs out. However, it is not out of love but for a substantial inheritance worth millions.
The film has received overwhelming praise from local audiences. “It has created a very special phenomenon to capture the hearts of people of all ages. In one case, a 10-year-old kid accompanied his 60-year-old grandfather to see the film in cinemas together,” said Songpol Wongkondee, GDH’s director of sales and international business.
He predicted its popularity will continue through this weekend when the Songkran holidays for Thai New Year take place over four days from April 13-16. “It’s an important time for Thai family reunions,” he said. “With the word-of-mouth that has spread since the opening, we expect more audiences to bring their families to the cinema during Songkran, and for the film to continue topping the box office during this period.”
Producers are Jira Maligool and Vanridee Pongsittisak from GDH. Both are also behind Bad Genius: The Series, the hit 2020 series directed by Pat. How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is Pat’s feature directorial debut.
The cast is headed by popular Thai singer Putthipong Assaratanakul (aka Billkin), who has more than 3 million followers on Instagram, and actress Usha Seamkhum.
US sales agent WME Independent handles international sales, marking the first time major Thai studio GDH 559 has not handled international sales on one of its own titles.
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