Xinhua

Hollywood film "The Rundown" was screened in a Beijing cinema during the national capital's first snowfall of the year on Sunday, eyeing a high box office revenue as China's first imported movie this year.

"The Rundown" is expected to show in Beijing beginning Jan. 14. So far, more than 200 local distributors have booked the film, exceeding last year's blockbuster "The Matrix II", according to Weng Li, deputy general manager of the Film Exhibition and Distribution Corporation of China.

"The feedback we received about last year's imported films indicates that the audience got a little bored with those high- tech crammed movies, "The Rundown" reveals a different picture about an adventure in the Amazon jungle, filled with fights, love and humor," Wen said.

The film earned 18,533,765 US dollars' box office during its first week debut in the United States last September and its virgin show claimed US No. 1 box office revenue in 2003.

Sunday's movie showing coincided with Beijing's first snow, leaving the film's distributor a happy surprise, because Chinese tradition regards a timely snow as the hint of a good harvest.