The rapid rise of the live-streaming industry in China has taken center stage in a new film starring veteran comedian Ge You that is now playing in theaters and vying for the lucrative week-long holiday box office.  

To date, "The Hutong Cowboy" has garnered around 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) in box office earnings since its opening in cinemas on October 1.  

Directed by Ning Hao, known for his dedication to storytelling centered on ordinary people, the film explores the realities of life in China through the eyes of its protagonist, Zhang Beijing, who becomes an instant internet sensation with a short video he shot to assert his right to his own image.  

"If we consider the immense changes that people have undergone in the past 20 years, I believe the internet is one of the most significant factors. Now we nearly all live online and I am familiar with the lives of common people," Ning Hao said as he explained his decision to incorporate his classic character, Zhang Beijing, into a film that examines the internet economy.

Zhang Beijing first became known to the public through a segment of the 2019 film "My People, My Country," in which the kind-hearted taxi driver ultimately decides to give up his own ticket to the Olympic opening ceremony to help someone else achieve their dream.

In the new film, Zhang Beijing wears a cowboy hat, reflecting the English title of the film "The Hutong Cowboy." "When Zhang puts on the cowboy hat, he starts to feel like a "character" himself. His quest for justice becomes akin to that of a cowboy acting heroically," Ning shared in an interview with Beijing Youth Daily. "In fact, we have our own concept of being a chivalrous hero in traditional Chinese culture," Ning added.  

A number of moviegoers left comments on the online box-office tracking platform Maoyan after seeing the film. "Fame and fortune brought by the internet world are both illusions; it is the ordinary that represents the true norm," said one moviegoer.

"It is not easy to tell what is true or untrue in the internet universe, which offers too much disguise. That's why we don't want kids to surf online because they are too young and too simple, and so easily misled," noted another moviegoer.  

By 10 p.m. on October 1, box-office earnings for holiday season releases had reached 490 million yuan (nearly $70 million), surpassing the same period last year, according to another leading ticketing platform Beacon.

Would "The Hutong Cowboy" win your heart? Why not check it out in theaters for yourself!