The film Scare Out, directed by acclaimed Zhang Yimou and supported by China's intelligence services, has emerged as one of the most popular movies over Lunar New Year, grossing 483 million yuan in its first three days.
Scare Out depicts a tense cat-and-mouse game where counter-espionage agents pursue a researcher who leaked information about a stealth fighter to foreign spies, only to uncover a mole in their own ranks. The movie does not specify the fighter jet model, but a similar case was publicized in March last year, involving a Chinese engineer who leaked secrets to foreign spies and was sentenced to death.
According to Maoyan, a Chinese movie-ticketing and data platform, the film has earned 483 million yuan (US$70 million) in the first three days of the Year of the Horse, placing second behind the motor-racing comedy Pegasus 3, which grossed 1.5 billion yuan. Supported by the Ministry of State Security, the thriller promotes national security awareness.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou, Scare Out has drawn significant attention during Lunar New Year, highlighting the appeal of homegrown espionage stories in China's booming film market.
