Twin-tower walker takes China's box office by surprise

Film critic Zhou Lei likens The Walk to a "love letter" exchanged between the erstwhile twin towers, brought down in terrorist attacks in 2001.

But Chinese moviegoers are unlikely to easily relate to the film's Western humor, such as the main character's awkward French accent while speaking English, says Zhou.

For most Chinese fans, Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis' helming of this film and the presence of Gordon-Levitt are good reasons to flock to the cinemas.

Zemeckis' reputation in China can be traced back to Forrest Gump, his 1994 epic that influenced many Chinese.

Alibaba's founder Jack Ma, one of China's tech magnates, revealed in an earlier interview that Forrest Gump encouraged him to go ahead with his business pursuits even in the face of many obstacles, the Chongqing Evening News reports.

The film is said to have also played a significant role in his decision to invest in the film business.

Gordon-Levitt's popularity in China rose in 2010, when he acted in the sci-fi thriller, Inception, which is still among the country's most-viewed foreign films.