China’s Box Office: ‘Red One’ Limps In at Number Six

Welcome to another episode of "Hollywood Hrishita’s Box Office Chronicles," where I spill the tea, the whole tea, and nothing but the tea on this weekend’s cinematic escapades in the land of the dragon! 🍿✨

"The Untold Story" Takes the Crown
Well, well, well, what do we have here? A Chinese melodrama, "The Untold Story," decided to make a grand entrance this weekend, snatching the top spot at the mainland China box office with a cool RMB80.8 million ($11.4 million). And it did all this while only playing for two days! Talk about efficiency! 😎

Meet Our Hero
This film, adapted from a novel, follows the adventures of an undercover drugs cop—who sometimes moonlights as a taxi driver and a cultural relics restorer. Someone’s been busy! With Roy Chiu and Lang Yue-ting leading the cast, and Zhang Yan steering the ship, it’s no wonder audiences are hooked.

Venom Still Dancing
In second place, we’ve got "Venom: The Last Dance" still tangoing its way through its third weekend in China, raking in $7.5 million and upping its total to a whopping $83.2 million. Looks like the symbiote’s got some staying power! 🕺

Nuclear Drama Anyone?
"Cesium Fallout," our nuclear disaster flick, stays explosive in third place. With Hong Kong’s Edko Films at the helm and stars Andy Lau and Karen Mok delivering the goods, it’s already amassed $25.4 million. Ka-boom! 💥

Revisiting Hogwarts
Ah, nostalgia strikes! "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" flew in for a fourth-place finish, conjuring $2.9 million. Clearly, the magic still hasn’t worn off! 🧙‍♂️

Anime Adventures
In the fifth spot, "Road to Ninja – Naruto the Movie" made its 2012 debut feel as fresh as ever. Earning $2.7 million in just two days, the ninjas still know how to pack a punch! 🥷

Holiday Hijinks
And then there’s Dwayne Johnson’s "Red One," opening just outside the top five. Despite Christmas not being a thing in China, it managed to pull in $2.02 million over the weekend. Rock, meet hard place! 🎄

Box Office Tidbits
Total weekend revenues came in at $42.2 million, adding to a year-to-date total of $5.51 billion. That’s about 21% shy of last year’s figures. Meanwhile, October’s box office figures held steady with RMB3.6 billion from 89.9 million admissions. Chinese films are still reigning supreme, claiming 79.3% of the year’s gross, with Hollywood imports trailing at 13.6%.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Curveballs and Box Office Balls
In the world of cinema, never underestimate the power of a good undercover cop, a nostalgic wizard, or a radioactive disaster. Who needs Hollywood when you’ve got undercover taxi drivers, right? 😂💥