Over the weekend, Chinese films dominated the global box office charts, raking in an impressive $350 million in just two days. This overwhelming success overshadowed Hollywood's top title, 'Argylle,' which earned a comparatively modest $15.9 million worldwide. The Chinese films chose to deviate from their usual Friday release pattern and instead opened on Saturday, coinciding with the start of the Lunar New Year holiday period in China and much of Asia.
Leading the pack was the female-directed comedy drama, 'YOLO,' earning a remarkable $113 million (RMB802 million) according to consultancy Artisan Gateway. Not far behind was the car-racing comedy 'Pegasus 2,' bringing in RMB758 million or $107 million and claiming the top spot on Saturday. 'YOLO' is set to make its way to international markets in the future, as it was recently acquired by Sony.
In third place, both in China and worldwide, was the Chinese animation film 'Boonie Bears: Time Twist' with a staggering RMB443 million or $62.4 million in earnings. Following closely behind was 'Article 20,' a comedy drama directed by Zhang Yimou about the intricacies of justified defense. It opened in fourth place in China, accumulating $47.5 million (RMB337 million) in just two days.
ComScore, the global box office tracking service, reported similar estimates for the Chinese titles and revealed that Universal's 'Argylle' secured the fifth spot worldwide. It earned $6.5 million between Friday and Sunday in the North American market and an additional $9.42 million in 81 international territories. With $28.8 million from North America and $31.3 million from international territories, 'Argylle' has amassed a cumulative total of $60.1 million to date.
Ranking sixth, seventh, and eighth on the global charts were Sony's 'Anyone But You,' Warner Bros.'s 'Wonka,' and Universal Pictures' 'Migration,' respectively. 'Anyone But You,' playing in 51 territories globally, brought in an estimated $2.7 million in North America and $9.7 million in international markets, accumulating a weekend total of $12.4 million and pushing its cumulative earnings to $170 million. 'Wonka,' still showing in 75 territories worldwide, earned $3.13 million in North America and $8.5 million in international markets. With a global cumulative of $588 million since its release in December, it maintained its box office success. Meanwhile, 'Migration,' playing in 80 territories, earned $3.02 million in North America and $6.72 million in the rest of the world, raising its worldwide earnings to $235 million.
'The Movie Emperor,' a dark satire on celebrity culture in the internet age, directed by Ning Hao and starring Andy Lau, debuted fifth in China with an opening weekend total of $7.9 million (RMB56 million) according to Artisan Gateway. ComScore ranked its performance as the ninth highest worldwide over the weekend, surpassing 'Poor Things' with $7.7 million (comprising of $1.125 million in North America and $6.6 million internationally).
Interestingly, among the top-performing films, four Chinese titles contributed the majority of Imax's global revenues. 'Pegasus 2' cashed in $4.6 million on the giant screens, while 'YOLO' brought in $3.6 million in Imax venues. Additionally, 'Boonie Bears: Time Twist' and 'Article 20' collectively earned another $1.8 million for Imax.
Given the continued success in China, it is likely that Chinese films will maintain their dominance in the global charts for several more days. The holiday season in mainland China extends throughout the following weekend, while new releases gradually enter international and North American markets starting from the middle of the week.
Ticketing agency Maoyan has revised its forecasts for mainland China's box office performance. They predict that 'YOLO' may reach a lifetime total of RMB4.4 billion ($610 million), 'Pegasus 2' could earn RMB3.3 billion ($459 million), 'Boonie Bears: Time Twist' might bring in RMB2.3 billion ($320 million), and 'Article 20' is expected to accumulate around RMB1.8 billion ($250 million).
Overall, the outstanding performance of Chinese films at the global box office over the weekend has clearly demonstrated their strong appeal and impact, captivating both domestic and international audiences. It will be fascinating to witness how these films continue to captivate viewers and shape the future of the film industry in the weeks to come.
