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.
