It looks like Jia Ling’s hard work has borne its fruits, as “YOLO” (previously reported as “Hot & Spicy”) has been named the biggest Lunar New Year movie in China.
The film, which sees the female comedienne shedding lots of weight – about 50 kg – to play a boxer, earned RMB 2.7 billion (approx. USD 363 million) at the box office since its release earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the second place goes to “Pegasus 2”, the sequel to the hit car racing comedy, which earned RMB 2.39 billion. This is followed by animated feature, “Boonie Bears: Time Twist” at RMB 1.389 billion.
In “YOLO”, Jia Ling plays Le Ying, an unemployed woman in her 30s whose life changes after she meets a boxing coach. The movie was helmed by the comedienne herself, who previously made her directorial debut with “Hi, Mom”.
The actress reportedly lost 50 kilograms of weight to play the role in the new movie, adopting a high-intensity fitness method that not only built her stamina but also gave her abdominal muscles.
