CNY Movies 2023: Jack Neo’s The King Of Musang King Triumphs Over Donnie Yen’s Sakra

Jack Neo is the king of the Chinese New Year box office in Singapore!

Neo’s latest, The King of Musang King, a durian biz satire/middle-age love story — which he directed and starred in alongside Yeo Yann Yann, Mark Lee, and Henry Thia — made S$807,000 in four days, following its Jan 21 release.

According to a statement from mm2 Entertainment, the PG13 dramedy has also grossed RMS$2 million (S$619,000) in Malaysia.

The King of Musang King  is one of eight theatrical titles dropped during the Jan 19-24 period, while Donnie Yen’s NC16 wuxia flick Sakra came out earlier on Jan 16, with sneaks on Jan 14-15.

Despite the five-day head start, Sakra only managed to secure second place with S$672,000.

The sci-fi epic, The Wandering Earth II, starring Andy Lau and Wu Jing, came in third with S$355,000, with What! The Heist, another homegrown offering starring Lee and Thia, at fourth place with S$265,000. Of the four Hollywood titles,  the animated Mummies led the pack with S$130,500. 

Here’s how much the CNY releases raked in…

1/ The King of Musang King  (Jan 21-24)

S$807,000

2/ Sakra (Jan 16-24)

S$672,000

3/ The Wandering Earth II (Jan 22-24)

S$355,000

4/ What! The Heist (Jan 19-24)

S$265,000

5/ Mummies (Jan 19-24)

S$130,500

6/ Plane (Jan 19-24)

S$128,000

7/ Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guere (Jan 19-24)

S$110,000

8/ Babylon (Jan 19-24)

S$77,000

9/ A Guilty Conscience (Jan 21-24)

S$24,000

= = = = =

Sources: mm2 Entertainment, Shaw Organisation, Golden Village, Warner Bros Discovery, UIP

Photos: mm2 Entertainment, Golden Village, Warner Bros Discovery