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Even though Chinese consumers strongly call for a boycott of Western brands concerned about possible human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, they apparently have had no qualms about supporting Hollywood.
Warner Bros. “Godzilla vs. Kong” and Legendary Entertainment crushed its competition in China this weekend with a debut of $ 70 million, marking the biggest first for a foreign title in 2020 and 2021. Its sales accounted for 82% of the weekend’s market share. end, from 42,000 screens and over 11.8 million entries.
Its $ 20.9million (RMB 137million) opening day was also the biggest for a foreign film of the same period – more than double the first day’s $ 8.7million ($ 57million). RMB) from Tenet last September, the previous record holder. “Tenet” had grossed $ 30 million on its first weekend in China.
‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is also now the foreign film with the most opening day presales since theaters closed due to COVID, having sold $ 6.88 million (RMB 45 million) in tickets before. his beginnings. He again defeated “Tenet”, who was previously the champion with presales of $ 3.44 million (RMB 22.5 million).
Sales in China of Legendary’s fourth “MonsterVerse” film played a major role in propelling Imax to its biggest global box office weekend since the pandemic began, with $ 12.4 million worldwide sales in 40 international markets.
Some $ 9.4 million of China’s “Godzilla vs Kong” weekend total came from Imax screens. That was 14% of the country’s total weekend box office and 10% of the title’s total sales in China, even though Imax only accounts for 1% of Chinese screens. The crude branded Warner Bros. ‘Fifth all-time Imax international opening and the biggest Legendary ever in China.
Imax CEO Rich Gelfond said “Godzilla” performance shows that “there is real business to be done for Hollywood blockbusters” in international markets, saying: “We are especially encouraged by the debut. Film solid in China, where audiences have turned out great way for this Hollywood franchise.
They did so even in the midst of a nationalist firestorm pushing for a boycott of other foreign products. Chinese consumers and officials this week criticized a long list of brands, including Nike, Adidas and H&M, for concern over labor practices in the cotton industry in Xinjiang, an area where Beijing denies any wrongdoing, but critics and US officials say his policies perpetuate genocide.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” will not open in North America in theaters and streaming until Wednesday, March 31, five days after its China debut. Chinese cinemas are still capped at 75% of their capacity as a virus prevention measure.
The last two installments of the MonsterVerse franchise have made more money in China than in the United States. The first “Godzilla” movie grossed $ 77.6 million, back when the country had far fewer screens. His sequel “Kong: Skull Island” grossed $ 168 million on the continent, $ 200,000 more than in North America. The third film of 2019 “Godzilla: Kong of the Monsters” grossed $ 135 million in China, $ 25 million more than in the United States.
Data from industry tracker Maoyan currently predicts total sales of “Godzilla vs. Kong” to be $ 141 million, which would make it the second most successful franchise in China.
The closet competitor to “Godzilla” this weekend was the local comedy “Hi, Mom,” which grossed an additional $ 3.62 million, pushing its total since February to $ 821 million. Just behind was the re-release of James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster “Avatar,” which grossed $ 3.46 million in its second weekend. “Endgame,” starring Andy Lau, reached fourth place with $ 1.93 million.
Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” topped local hit “Detective Chinatown 3” to place fifth at $ 992,000, just $ 49,000 more than the latter. Russian, Belarusian and German co-production “Persian Lessons”, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival last year, was seventh this week, earning an additional $ 828 billion to take its Chinese cume to 3.5 millions of dollars.
After a month in theaters, Warner Bros. “Tom and Jerry” had virtually no box office to speak of. It has so far brought in a small amount of $ 15.9 million (RMB 104 million) from China.
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