China Box Office: ‘Successor’ Reaches $420 Million Total After Fifth Weekend Win

As someone who has grown up watching Chinese cinema, I have to say that the current state of the box office is both exciting and concerning at the same time. On one hand, it’s heartening to see homegrown films like “Successor” and “Upstream” dominating the charts. These stories resonate with the audience, and it’s a testament to the power of local content.


For five consecutive weeks, the Chinese family comedy-drama titled “Successor” remained number one at the Chinese box office. On the other hand, the action-packed duo of “Deadpool” and “Wolverine” fell out of the Chinese top five after three weekends in theatres.

“Over the weekend from Friday to Sunday, ‘Successor’ raked in approximately RMB179 million ($25.2 million), as per data from Artisan Gateway. This brings its overall earnings since its release on July 16 to $420 million. Currently, it stands out as the highest-grossing film of the summer season and is now the fourth highest-grossing movie of the year in China. However, its latest weekend success was a close call.”

Coming in second, “Upstream” by Ruyi Films raked in approximately $23.4 million during its debut weekend, and on Fridays alone, it led the daily earnings chart. Including previews, the film has amassed a total of $25.8 million. Directed by Xu Zheng and Tong Zhi-jian, this drama follows the inspiring journey of a tech industry executive who becomes a food delivery driver after losing his job, and finds new purpose in life.

A fresh arrival, the production by Lightchaser Animation titled “White Snake: Afloat”, generated a revenue of $19.3 million within just two days, starting from its Saturday premiere.

Originally ranking second, “Decoded” has now dropped to fourth position. It has garnered approximately $7.3 million, bringing its total earnings since its Aug. 3 release to around $40.8 million.

As a follower, I’m excited to share that Dirty Monkey’s “Land of Broken Hearts” raked in an impressive $6.9 million during its initial two-day run. This captivating romantic comedy drama is the brainchild of seasoned producer Ning Hao and visionary director Wen Shipao. The story revolves around a man who finds himself ensnared within a film, only to stumble upon love through the enigmatic appearance and disappearance of a woman.

Different data sources suggest that the estimated earnings for “Deadpool & Wolverine” are approximately $4.09 million individually, with a total accumulated revenue of $55.4 million. This places it among the more robust Hollywood releases this year and surpasses the $44 million earned by “Despicable Me 4,” previously the highest-grossing foreign title in July.

Over the past weekend, Artisan Gateway estimates that Chinese box offices took in a grand total of $93.5 million. This brings the current cumulative earnings up to an impressive $4.35 billion. However, this figure is 19% lower than what was earned at this same point last year.

The company recorded a revenue of $758 million in July, which is the second highest monthly earnings this year. However, it represents a 45% decrease compared to July last year. This summer has been disappointing for several locally produced movies that featured popular actors such as “Customs Frontline,” “A Legend,” and “The Traveller.”

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2024-08-12 09:46