9 Most Insane Things Happening In Movies & TV Right Now (Jan 4th)

7. China's Record-Breaking Film Isn't What Anyone Thought

When box office predictions for Bi Gan's Long Day's Journey Into Night came around, they said the Cannes favourite drama would be modest but an improvement on the director's previous works. Weirdly, though, the film took $38m on its opening night, beating powerhouse Venom.

So how did this arthouse film manage it? Well, by accident, it seems. Or by misdirection, more specifically. The film's marketing campaign made sure to time screenings so they would end on the stroke of midnight on the opening night - New Year's Eve - and encouraged audience members to kiss along with the protagonists in the final scene. Very romantic and it turns out very clever too.

The marketeers leant heavily on the idea of it being the perfect first-date movie with the message “Do you know what kind of sweet talk you’ll use to invite someone to the last film of 2018, The Last Night On Earth?” However, it was all a cheat as the film is nothing like it was billed - it's a dense drama that apparently prompted mass walkouts and audiences falling asleep with Chinese movie website Maoyan reporting a 2.8 out of 10 rating.

Hell of a way to ruin someone's New Year to sell some tickets while also ruining a film's rating too.