Taiwanese-produced crime action film 'The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon' made a strong debut at the mainland China box office, claiming the top spot over the weekend. The film garnered $16.2 million (RMB115 million), marking the highest opening for a new film in China this year, excluding Lunar New Year releases. Despite its success, it narrowly edged out the long-running Zhang Yimou-directed film 'Article 20,' which has been in theaters for four weeks.
'The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon,' directed by Hong Kong's Wong Ching-po and starring Ethan Juan, follows the story of a gangster facing a terminal illness who aims to eliminate higher-ranked criminals before his demise. While Taiwan imposes restrictions on the number of mainland Chinese films shown in its cinemas, mainland China allows Taiwanese films with proper censorship approval, making the film's achievement noteworthy.
'Article 20' secured $16 million (RMB113 million) over the weekend, accumulating a total of $320 million since its release on Feb. 10. 'Pegasus 2,' another Lunar New Year release, maintained its position as the second highest-grossing film, earning $14.4 million (RMB102 million) over the weekend and totaling $458 million (RMB3.25 billion) to date.
Chinese animated film 'Boonie Bears: Time Twist' earned $8.7 million over the weekend, reaching a cumulative total of $268 million (RMB1.90 billion). 'YOLO,' a weight loss comedy that dominated the Lunar New Year holiday period, slipped to fifth place, earning $8.0 million and totaling $478 million (RMB3.40 billion).
On the other hand, 'Dune' and 'Madame Web' failed to break into the top five, with 'Dune' earning $860,000 (RMB6.2 million) during its rerelease weekend and 'Madame Web' bringing in only RMB4.8 million ($670,000). 'Oppenheimer,' released ahead of the Oscars, earned a modest $170,000 over the weekend.
Looking ahead, the highly anticipated 'Dune 2' is set to hit Chinese screens, becoming the first major Hollywood release since 'Aquaman 2' in December. Co-distributed by Legendary East, the Chinese branch of Legendary Entertainment, 'Dune 2' is expected to make a significant impact on the box office.
