Christopher Nolan’s film, “Oppenheimer,” continued its successful run in China, surpassing the $60 million mark at the box office. Over the weekend, it earned an additional $2.5 million, bringing its total to $58.1 million. Despite facing stiff competition from local films such as “Dust to Dust,” “Expend4bles,” and “No More Bets,” “Oppenheimer” managed to secure the fourth position for the frame.
One of the contributing factors to “Oppenheimer’s” success is its popularity on Imax screens in China. This weekend, it earned $740,000, contributing to its total of $17 million in the Imax format. This impressive figure accounts for 30% of its overall box office performance in the country.
“Oppenheimer” premiered in China almost a month ago and has shown remarkable staying power since its release. Christopher Nolan’s strong following in China played a significant role in the film’s success. Universal Pictures capitalized on this by organizing a well-received pre-release promotional visit to Beijing by the director in late August. In terms of box office earnings in China, “Oppenheimer” now ranks in the middle of Nolan’s filmography, with “Interstellar” leading the way at $139 million, followed by “Inception” at $68 million, “Tenet” at $66 million, “Dark Knight Rises” at $52.7 million, and “Dunkirk” at $51 million.
In addition to its impressive performance overall, “Oppenheimer” is also the fourth-highest-grossing U.S. film release in China in 2023. It trails behind “Fast X” ($139.5 million), “Meg 2: The Trench” ($116.5 million, but a China co-production), and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” ($86.9 million).
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The top film of the weekend in China was “Dust to Dust,” the directorial debut of Jonathan Li, who had previously worked as an assistant director on popular Hong Kong crime films such as “Infernal Affairs 3,” “Dog Bite Dog,” and the “Overheard” series. “Dust to Dust” earned $7.6 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $57.1 million.
Sylvester Stallone’s “Expend4bles” secured the second position but saw relatively slow progress with a $4.3 million weekend. The film has been a disappointment both in China and globally, with a China total of only $19.4 million. It is projected to reach a final total of around $23 million. The previous three films in the “Expendables” franchise performed significantly better, earning $31.7 million, $53 million, and $72.8 million, respectively.
The crime thriller sensation “No More Bets” ranked third for the weekend, adding $2.7 million to its impressive total of $531.7 million. Produced by Ning Hao, the film has dominated Chinese multiplexes since its release on August 8.
On the other hand, 20th Century’s “A Haunting in Venice,” the latest installment in the Hercule Poirot mystery series starring Kenneth Branagh, failed to make it into the top five films in China over the weekend. It has earned only around $5 million so far. Previous entries in the franchise generated mixed results but performed notably better than the latest installment. “Murder on the Orient Express” earned $35 million in 2017, while “Death on the Nile,” released during China’s pandemic lockdowns, brought in $10.8 million.
Looking ahead, Paramount’s “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” will be the only U.S. release hitting Chinese screens on Friday. It will face off against several new Chinese titles, including Herman Yau’s and Andy Lau’s action tentpole “Operation Moscow.” Moviegoers in China can anticipate these new releases as the box office keeps buzzing with exciting new content.
