“The Marvels” narrowly missed securing the top spot during its opening weekend at the mainland China box office, falling significantly short of its blockbuster predecessor. According to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, the film amassed RMB82.7 million or $11.5 million between Friday and Sunday in Chinese cinemas, with $2 million (17%) earned in Imax theaters.
In comparison, “The Marvels” debut weekend earnings were slightly below the RMB84.2 million ($11.7 million) achieved by the Chinese film “Last Suspect” in its second weekend. The crime drama “Last Suspect” has now accumulated a total of $51.5 million after ten days in theaters.
“The Marvels” figures pale in comparison to the $88.9 million earned by “Captain Marvel” when it premiered in Chinese theaters in March 2019. Local ticketing service Maoyan predicts that “The Marvels” will reach a career total of RMB152 million or $21 million in China, but it struggled in other territories as well.
Securing the third position over the weekend was “Be My Family,” a Chinese-produced family drama supported by Alibaba and its Taopiaopiao unit, which earned $6.8 million in three days.
Claiming the fourth spot was “The Abandoned,” a Taiwanese-produced crime drama that underwent festival play in Singapore and Rotterdam at the end of 2022 and the beginning of this year. Despite opening on a Saturday, the film grossed $1.8 million (RMB13.3 million) in two days.
Holding onto the fifth spot was “Only the River Flows,” which previously topped the chart for two weeks in October. It earned $1.2 million, bringing its five-week cumulative to $40 million.
The overall box office revenue across China reached $37.2 million, contributing to a year-to-date total of $9.94 billion. Artisan Gateway reports that this is 78% ahead of the dismal 2022 figures and 14% below the comparable total in 2019.
