| Lee Chong Wei | |||||||||||
| Native Name: |
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| Director: | Teng Bee | ||||||||||
| Country: | Malaysia | ||||||||||
| Cinematography: | Eric Yeong | ||||||||||
| Gross: | RM4.75 million million million | ||||||||||
| Runtime: | 133 minutes[1] | ||||||||||
| Budget: | million[2] | ||||||||||
Lee Chong Wei is a 2018 Malaysian biographical sports drama film directed by Teng Bee, about the story of national icon Lee Chong Wei, who rose from poverty to become the top badminton player in the world. The film is based on Lee's 2012 autobiography Dare to Be a Champion (which has been translated into English by Patty Tai Peck Sing). The film stars in the title role two newcomers: 13-year-old Jake Eng and 22-year-old Tosh Chan, who were picked from more than 2,000 auditioned hopefuls.
The movie begins with a young boy asking Lee how to be as good of a shuttler as him after a badminton match. A flashback then brings Lee back to his tough upbringing and the story of how he overcame setbacks along the way. The film features a mix of real-life accounts and dramatic fiction, culminating in the 2006 Malaysia Open final where Lee miraculously saved 8 match points against great rival Lin Dan to win the title, one of the few and first occasions where Lee defeated Lin in their numerous encounters over the span of their decade-long rivalry.
The film received generally average reviews, but earned RM2 million in ticket sales in the first 4 days of release.[3] It peaked at number 3 in the Malaysian cinema charts upon release, and fell to number 4 the following week.[4]
Although the movie was supposed to be released throughout Asia, it failed to make a splash in neighbouring Singapore, garnering only S$10,000 in ticket sales upon release and a total of under S$75,000 after a 4-day run. Nevertheless, it peaked at number 6 in Singapore and maintained in the weekly top 10 charts for 4 consecutive weeks.[5]
However, the film performed strongly in other markets, having grossed ¥6.58 million in China where it was released on 7 September 2018.[6] Following its release in Taiwan on 28 September 2018, it surpassed NT$1 million after just 3 days and eventually passed the $2 million mark.[7]