China Box Office: ‘Octopus With Broken Arms’ Retains Top Spot, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Stays in Fifth Place as Business Remains Dull

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The movie “Octopus With Broken Arms” maintained its leading position at the Chinese box office.

Over the Jan. 17-19 weekend, the crime thriller raked in approximately RMB 60.8 million ($8.4 million), boosting its overall earnings to $111.4 million. As reported by Artisan Gateway, this film, directed by Jacky Gan, has been a consistent performer and has firmly established itself as the year’s initial blockbuster success.

In a striking turn of events, “Honey Money Phony,” produced by Maoyan Pictures, moved up to the second spot earning $5.2 million, boosting its total earnings to an impressive $50.4 million. Guided by director Su Biao, this financial deception comedy maintains its allure for viewers as it completes its fourth week in cinemas.

Or:

The comedy “Honey Money Phony,” from Maoyan Pictures, climbed to the second position with $5.2 million, taking its overall earnings to $50.4 million. Directed by Su Biao, this movie about financial trickery has kept audiences engaged as it finishes its fourth week in theaters.

Or:

“Honey Money Phony,” a comedy produced by Maoyan Pictures and directed by Su Biao, climbed to second place with $5.2 million, pushing its total earnings to $50.4 million. With four weeks in cinemas under its belt, this movie about financial deception continues to draw audiences.

Each of these sentences conveys the same information as the original, but in a slightly different way.

As a cinephile, I’m reflecting on the box office numbers for last week. Last week’s runner-up, “Big World,” dropped down to third place, raking in $3.9 million. Directed by Yang Lina and distributed by Gengxi Pictures, this family drama has now accumulated a grand total of $99.7 million. In fourth position, the timeless Japanese anime classic “Detective Conan: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital” (2003), directed by Kodama Kenji, managed to earn an additional $1 million during its fourth week, pushing its overall earnings up to $17.8 million.

Over the weekend, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” distributed by Paramount, managed to secure fifth place with an earnings of $1.2 million, boosting its overall revenue to $3.9 million. The only other movie from Hollywood in the top ten is Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which held the ninth position and has accumulated a total of $16.5 million as reported by Ent Group.

Over the weekend, the total box office earnings amounted to $26.4 million, marking a decrease from last week’s $34.5 million. This drop suggests that cinemas are currently experiencing a more subdued phase. To date in 2025, China’s overall box office revenue has accumulated to $208.5 million, which is 17.2% lower compared to the same period in 2024. This ongoing decrease underscores the difficulties confronting the movie theater market, even as films like “Octopus With Broken Arms” continue to maintain strong showings.

Attention shifts towards the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations, starting late in January. Historically, this time is marked by local blockbuster premieres and increased revenue for the box office.

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2025-01-20 11:47