The animated film "McDull Wudang" has proved a great success in box office earnings since its release on the Chinese mainland on July 24. The film is expected to earn more than 100 million yuan (US$14.6 million).

This time, Hong Kong-born McDull is on his first trip to the mainland. The unsophisticated piglet soon finds accommodations on the Wudang Mountains and starts to learn Tai Chi.

The film's box office income was more than 10 million yuan (US$1.46 million) on the first day and 33 million yuan (US$4.83 million) during its first weekend.

Distributors say cinemas are continuing to add more showings of "McDull Wudang" in Shanghai to meet the demand of movie-goers. They are replacing other blockbusters such as the Harry Potter and Transformers films.

McDull was first created as a comic book character by Hong Kong cartoonist Alice Mak and her writer husband Brian Tse. Books depicting the life of the unwise yet honest piglet have made McDull a local phenomenon and spawned film, television and music spin-offs.

(CRI July 27, 2009)