Netflix quietly debuted sci-fi movie 'The Wandering Earth,' the second-biggest Chinese blockbuster of all time

wandering earth

Netflix acquired the rights to the Chinese sci-fi movie "The Wandering Earth" in February, and it's now streaming.
The movie has grossed $691 million at the Chinese box office, and is the second-biggest movie of all time in the country.

Chinese audiences couldn't get enough of the sci-fi movie "The Wandering Earth," and now even more people can see it thanks to Netflix's global reach.

Netflix bought the rights to the blockbuster in February, and it's now streaming globally. The movie follows mankind's efforts to move Earth out of its solar system because the sun has expanded to the point where it will destroy the planet.

Directed by Frant Gwo and based on the novella of the same name by Liu Cixin, "The Wandering Earth" has earned $691 million at the Chinese box office. It's one of the biggest movies of the year and the second-biggest movie in the China ever, behind 2017's "Wolf Warrior 2," which grossed $854 million.

And it's currently bigger than "Avengers: Endgame," which is the highest-grossing Hollywood movie in China ever with $575 million so far.

Netflix doesn't operate out of China, but it has found success in other regions by acquiring exclusive streaming rights to popular content outside their local areas. A good example is the UK, where various kinds of licensing arrangements Netflix has made have led to hits such as "Bodyguard" and "The Last Kingdom."

Netflix has recently been focusing on Asia more than ever in the hopes to increase its presence there. Late last year, Netflix announced 17 new Asian originals, including eight new Indian original movies.

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