Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone debuted in second place at the mainland China box office over the weekend, kicking off a series of re-releases for the entire Harry Potter franchise.
The top film of the weekend was The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, which earned RMB 77.4 million ($10.9 million) in its second weekend. Directed by Chen Kaige, this film has grossed a total of $139 million since its release on September 30, coinciding with the National Day holiday. It is the second part of a trilogy that began last year with The Volunteers: To the War.
In contrast, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone brought in $6.6 million. Warner Bros. Pictures announced that the films will be shown in approximately 3,400 theaters across 295 cities in China, available in both standard 2D and premium formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema.
IMAX reported that its screens contributed $1.8 million to the film’s total over the weekend.
The original Harry Potter films were released between 2001 and 2011, during a time when multiplexes were just emerging in China. This makes box office comparisons challenging. The remaining titles in the franchise will be released weekly throughout October and November.
In third place was the Chinese crime drama Tiger Wolf Rabbit, which earned $4.1 million, bringing its total to $58 million since its October 1 release.
High Forces, starring Andy Lau, held fourth place with $3.6 million, accumulating $33 million since its September 30 debut. Jackie Chan’s Panda Plan dropped from third to fifth place, earning $3 million for a total of $34.9 million since its release on October 1.
Overall, the box office for the weekend saw a boost, reflecting growing interest in re-releases and new films in Chinese theaters.
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