Chinese state media had hailed it as the country’s answer to Lord of the Rings. The fantasy film Asura was meant to be the biggest hit of the year but became its fastest flop. Despite costing more than $110m, the most expensive film wholly made by a Chinese studio was pulled from cinemas after earning just over $7m in its opening weekend.
Equally unprecedented was the film-makers’ explanation for the flop, blaming it on a mysterious “water army”. That’s the name given in China to the hordes of fake online accounts used by companies and celebrities to inflate their social media followings or criticise rivals — so-called because they “pour water” into the online discourse.
Asura’s producers, which include the film division of tech giant Alibaba, alleged that an influential ratings platform had hosted many fake comments, which brought the movie’s rating down.