CHINA BOX OFFICE: Transformers: Age Of Extinction held onto the top spot at the China box office in its third week, although local comedy The Break-up Guru also managed to hold its own.

Transformers 4 grossed a further $56.36m from 8.3 million admissions to reach a record-breaking cumulative total of $279.25m. Avatar previously held the record for highest-grossing film of all time in China with $221.9m.

The Break-up Guru took second position in the chart by raking in a further $26.76m from 4.9 million admissions for a healthy cume of $92.46m. The directing debut of actor Deng Chao, the film was produced by Enlight Pictures and stars Deng and Mini Yang.

Another local comedy, opener Old Boys: The Way Of The Dragon, came in third with $16.74m in its first four days. Co-produced by online platform Youku Tudou, Le Vision Pictures and Ruyi Films, the New York-set comedy is based Xiao Yang and Wang Taili’s hit microfilm Old Boys, which was an internet sensation when it streamed on Youku. A music video from the film, Xiao Pingguo (Little Apple), has gone viral across China.

Two local kids’ animations based on popular internet games also opened on July 10 and took fourth and fifth positions in the chart. Both films are sequels: Seer 4 grossed $6.28m, while Roco Kingdom 3 took in $4.89 in its first four days.

In the bottom half of the chart, Korean-Chinese horror Bunshinsaba 3 grossed $3.38m for a cume of $7.01m; Maleficent took a further $2.96m for a total of $46.46m; while American Hustle grossed $1.36 and has taken $2.81m after 10 days.

Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep opened on July 8 and came in ninth with $400,000 in its first six days. Local production A Noble Spirit rounded out the chart with $310,000 for a cume of $1.06m.

Openings this weekend include highly-anticipated domestic sequel Tiny Times 3 (July 17) and Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, which is opening on July 18 to celebrate Nelson Mandela Day. China Film Group Corp is releasing the Mandela biopic on more than 1,000 screens.

Topics