China Box Office: ‘Nutcracker’ Wins With $12 Million Opening
By Patrick Frater
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Lasse Hallstrom’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” topped the Chinese with a far from festive $12 million opening score. It was one of six new titles to enter the top ten, which was worth a collective $40.8 million.
The romantic fantasy, presented by Disney in most international markets, topped the Chinese charts on all three days between Friday and Sunday. It played some 80,000 screening sessions per day on each occasion., according to data from Ent Group.
Independently-produced U.S. action-disaster picture, “Hurricane Heist” took second place with $7.03 million, playing over 40,000 screening sessions per day. Its director, Rob Cohen is a familiar figure in the Middle Kingdom and previously directed “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” in China in 2008.
Third place was taken by British comedy drama “A Street Cat Named Bob,” directed by Roger Spottiswoode. After opening sixth on Friday, it saw its earnings grow on Saturday and Sunday, to reach $4.16 million from an average of 30,000 screening sessions per day.
“Frozen Hero II” was the top-placed Chinese-made film. The action adventure earned $3.88 million in its opening three days. Having opened second on Friday, its ranking slipped on successive days.
Hollywood’s “Predator” was the top holdover title. It earned $3.53 million, representing an 82% week-on-week drop. After 10 days on release, its cumulative is $27.2 million.
“Project Gutenberg,” the Hong Kong made crime film that previously enjoyed three weeks at the top of the chart, earned $3.44 million over the weekend. After 36 days, it has accumulated $181 million.
Chinese animated romance, “Crystal Sky of Yesterday” which previously ranked second, slipped to seventh. It earned $1.90 million over the weekend, for a 10-day cumulative of $11.6 million.
American fantasy, “The House With a Clock in its Walls” opened weakly with $1.61 million for eighth place in its opening weekend. American animation, “Smallfoot” took $1.56 million in its third weekend. That pushed its cumulative to $9.89 million after 17 days on release.
Indian comedy, “Hichki” added $1.52 million in its fourth week. It has scored $20.4 million after 24 days on release in .
