'No More Bets' breaks the box office

In just three days, No More Bets has raked in more than 500 million yuan ($69.3 million) from advanced screenings, making it the highest-grossing film in terms of advanced sales — a promotional strategy for marketing — in the history of Chinese cinema.

The film is about a Chinese programmer and a model who, enticed by the promise of high-paying jobs, find themselves trapped in a foreign country as prisoners of a ruthless gang, and forced into online gambling fraud.

Director Shen Ao, who attended the film's Beijing premiere on Sunday, revealed that he studied over 10,000 cases and interviewed a variety of people, from victims to police officers, to gain inspiration for the movie.

Originally scheduled to open nationwide on Aug 11, the film's release date has been moved up to Tuesday, Aug 8. So far, it has generated combined box office revenues, including advanced screenings and first-day showings, of over 620 million yuan, according to Chinese entertainment live tracker, Beacon.