Can Chinese sleeper hit Dear You conquer the US box office next?

China’s biggest box-office surprise this year – a Teochew-language family drama that became a hit in Southeast Asia – is finally coming to North American cinemas on September 4. Dear You, whose Chinese title translates as “Love Letters for Grandma”, has grossed nearly US$300 million in mainland China. Its North American release will test whether a Chinese film rooted in migration, family, and regional culture can find an audience beyond the Chinese-speaking diaspora. The seemingly non-political...