‘Dear You’ sets Malaysian box office record as top-grossing Mandarin film, director highlights Malaysia’s role in surprise hit

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — China’s Dear You has set a major milestone, becoming the highest-grossing Mandarin-language film in Malaysian box office history.

The announcement was made at about 4pm yesterday at the Pavilion Hotel Crescent Ballroom.

According to distributor Mega Films Distribution, the film has now grossed more than RM15 million, with Malaysia emerging as its strongest overseas market outside China.

Director Lan Hongchun and lead cast members Wang Yantong (Zheng Mu Sheng) and Li Sitong (young Xie Nan Zhi) were in Malaysia as part of the film’s promotional roadshow, with the announcement coinciding with their visit.

The film’s Malaysian connection has been notably strong.

Its soundtrack includes Harapanku, performed by the late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng. The song is an adaptation of the Mandarin classic Nanyang Girl, written by a Malaysian and inspired by a girl from Penang.

During a media session yesterday, Lan said he had travelled to several parts of Malaysia to better shape the film’s production, characters and dialogue.

He made the trips in March and April 2023, visiting Kuala Lumpur, Pulau Ketam, and Penang, and spending more than two weeks in the country.

He said the experience significantly contributed to the authenticity of Dear You.

Lan also spoke about the film’s poster, which features a setting resembling Ipoh.

“The old textile shop seen on the poster was meticulously recreated to resemble an authentic Nanyang streetscape,” he said.

He added that he only recently discovered the shop depicted was based on a real location in Ipoh.

The production team, he said, aimed to recreate the look and feel of the Nanyang era as authentically as possible, with the art department conducting extensive online research and even using Google Street View as a reference.

Excitement around Dear You continued yesterday evening when hundreds of fans gathered outside Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for a 6pm meet-and-greet with the director and cast.

The cast and director will continue cinema appearances across the Klang Valley today as the film continues its nationwide run.

Dear You has also topped the Malaysian box office for two consecutive weeks, outperforming Hollywood titles including Toy Story 5 and Supergirl, further cementing its record-breaking performance.