‘Volunteers 2’ Hijacks the Holiday Box Office Like a Sequel Gone Rogue

Step right up, folks, and behold the latest escapades from the land of dim sum and dragons! 🎬🐉 Yes, I’m talking about the Chinese box office, where Chen Kaige’s war drama, "The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death," has been marching to victory. But hold your applause, dear readers, because despite its dominance, the end of the National Day holiday week was more “meh” than “marvelous.” 🙄

This cinematic juggernaut raked in a whopping RMB324 million (about $45.6 million). It commanded a solid 26% of the screening sessions over the weekend, as if saying, “Move over, lesser movies!” The film is the brainchild of director Chen Kaige, starring Zhu Yilong, Xin Baiqing, and Zhang Zifeng, forming the middle child in a trilogy that’s all about waving the patriotic flag. 🇨🇳 Cue dramatic music.

Now, if you’re wondering how it’s stacking up, ticketing maestro Maoyan has all the juicy deets. “Volunteers 2” has amassed RMB802 million in seven days. It’s predicted to strut out of theaters with a cool RMB1.4 billion ($199 million), which would land it a comfy spot in this year’s top ten films. Take that, Hollywood! 🏆

But before we pop the champagne, let’s shed a tear for days gone by. Last year, the National Day holiday brought in a heftier haul with a $168 million opening weekend. This year, we only hit the RMB1 billion mark on the third day, compared to the second last year. Oh, how the mighty have stumbled! 😢

In the runner-up slot, we have the crime drama, “Tiger Wolf Rabbit,” clawing its way to a $19 million weekend with 18% of the slots. 🐯🐺🐇 Meanwhile, Jackie Chan’s “Panda Plan” skated into third, bagging $14 million. Is there anything Jackie can’t do? 🐼

Andy Lau’s thriller “High Forces” and Lu Chuan’s sci-fi flick “Bureau 749” rounded out the top five, earning $10.5 million and $8.1 million, respectively. The box office in China has crossed the $5 billion threshold this year, but alas, it still pales in comparison to last year’s $6.69 billion. A case of the box office blues, perhaps? 📉

MORAL OF THE STORY: Hollywood may have its Avengers, but China has its Volunteers—and they’re here to remind us that box office glory can be as unpredictable as a Kung Fu panda on roller skates. 🐼🛼